Renal cell carcinoma

Question 1

Define Renal cell carcinoma

Answer 1

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC)
Cancer that arrises from the renal cortex (outside layer-not tubules or around)
accounts for 85% of primary kidney cancer

Question 2

Aetiology and risk factors of Renal cell carcinoma

Answer 2

cancer-genetic and environement-smoking is biggest one, obesity, HTN
Sporadic usually, with a few familial syndromes that cause it (Van Hippaul)
TNM staging

rates vary a lot between world–a lot based on external factors

Risk factors:
male, over 55
Black
Smoking, 
Obesity
HTN
FHx
Von Hippaul syndrome

Question 3

Epidiemology of Renal cell carcinoma

Answer 3

90% of primary kidney cancers
which are about 5% of new cancer a year -70 000 cases in US in 2020
6th most common cancer

6 in 100 000
vary a lot in world-lot of external causes

Question 4

Signs and Sx of Renal cell carcinoma

Answer 4

Most often asymptomatic and found incidentally
50% found in early disease
In general Signs and Sx are rare findings (or late findings) and non-specific

Locally advanced-
Heamaturia
Flank pain
abdominal masses
Lymphadenopathy

can also cause paraneoplastic syndromes-often related to hypercalcemia, or ACTH
-> fever, weight loss, sweats, pallor, cachexia, etc

Hepatic dysfcunction, myoneuropathy (from paraneoplastic)

can occasionally cause lower limb oedema
Scrotal varicoele

Question 5

investigations of Renal cell carcinoma

Answer 5

FBC-ACD, can even have extra erythropoietin from (high Hb)
Calcium can be raised
LFT fucked , coag raised
all these causes by paraneoplatic sybdromes

Creatinine-can rise after RCC caused CKD
Urinalalysis-heamaturia-not specific or sensitive, but can happen in late stage

Ultrasound-mass
CTKUB-renal mass