The NCCN Kidney Cancer Clinical Practice Guidelines in OncologyTM

Overview In 2008, an estimated 54,390 Americans were diagnosed with kidney cancer and 13,010 died of the disease in the United States.1 Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) comprises approximately 2% of all malignancies, with a median age at diagnosis of 65 years. The rate of RCC has increased 2% per year for the past 65 years. The reason for this increase is unknown. Approximately 90% of renal tumors are RCC, and 85% of these are clear cell tumors.2 Other, less-common cell types include papillary, chromophobe, and Bellini (collecting) duct tumors. Collecting duct carcinoma comprises fewer than 1% of all cases. Medullary renal carcinoma is a variant of collecting duct renal carcinoma and was initially described as occurring in patients who are sickle cell–trait positive. Smoking and obesity are among the risk facThe NCCN