L11-Renal cell carcinoma and cancer

Question 1

What are the two main types of renal cell carcinoma?

Answer 1

Papillary

Chromophobe

Question 2

What are the clinical features of renal cell carcinoma?

Answer 2

Haematuria
Flank pain
Abdominal mass
Often late presentation due to metastasis

Question 3

What is the familial cause of renal cell carcinoma and why does it cause renal cell carcinoma?

Answer 3

Von Hippel lindau syndrome. This is a germline mutation in the tumour supressor gene VHL. This causes a problem in the HIF pathway. This leads to accumulation of HIF leading to angiogenesis and proliferation.