ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To investigate changes in the epidemiology and clinical profile of patients diagnosed with renal clear cell carcinoma in a community health area over 12 years. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of epidemiological characteristics and clinical profile of patients diagnosed with renal clear cell carcinoma in a health area composed of a population of 353.619 inhabitants from January 1999 to December 2010. Descriptive statistical and multivariate analysis, Fisher exact test and Chi-Square were utilized. p<0.05 was accepted as significant. RESULTS: 349 diagnoses of renal mass were reported; 165 of them were clear renal cell carcinoma. Median age was 70.41 years, and the Female/Male rate was 28% and 72%, respectively. 4% women and 30% men smoked ≥20 cigarettes/day, more frequently during the period 1999-2001. 52% women and 30% men had hypertension. Hematuria was the most frequent symptom (23%), more frequent in the period 2007-2010, followed by abdominal pain (16%) and renal colic(13%). Weight loss (12%) was more frequent between 1999-2000. Asthenia appeared as the first symptom in 8% of cases. The tumor was incidentally diagnosed in 20% of cases, more frequently in the period between 2007-2010. Diagnosis was established in the Urology Department in 36% of the cases. Stages T1-2 N0 were more frequent between 2007-2010, and M1 between 1999-2000. G3 was more frequent in the entire series. The relative cancer specific mortality of patients who were surgically treated was less in the last 2 years of the period. CONCLUSIONS: Clear renal cell carcinoma is the most frequent renal cancer and its incidence is increasing in our environment. It affects more frequently males than females, and at an earlier age. The last few years are showing a decrease in the habitual smoker males and an increase in HTN in females. A tendency has been detected to the early stage clinical diagnosis but with a higher histopathological grade. It is most frequent diagnosed by a non-Urology speciality.
