Risk Factors and Histopathological Features of Renal Cell Carcinoma Subtypes

Kidney cancer is currently the 9th most common cancer in men and the 14th most common in women. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer, accounting for about 85% of all renal malignancies. It accounts for about 2% of diagnoses and deaths following all cancers. Several risk factors for RCC include smoking, obesity, hypertension, and acquired cystic kidney disease.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients who underwent nephrectomy (partial nephrectomy or radical nephrectomy) due to kidney mass from 2018 to 2021. Patients whose final pathology was RCC remained in the study, and patients with other pathologies were excluded. Risk factors and frequency of RCC pathological subtypes were investigated.

The most common subtype was Clear Cell (60.1%), followed by Papillary (19.7%) and Chromophobe (18.7%). Most patients were men and overweight, with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 27.19 ± 4.68. Hypertension and Diabetes are considered independent and strong risk factors in RCC development. In terms of grading using the Furman grading system, grade 2 was significantly higher than other grades (51%).

Considering the frequency of different sub-types of RCC in our study, it seems different from the global dispersion pattern. Unlike previous studies, blood type did not play a proven role in causing RCC in our research. In contrast, the role of other risk factors, such as a history of Diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and obesity, was proven.