Abstract

The prognostic significance of morphologic parameters was evaluated in 36 cases of renal cell carcinoma diagnosed during five years(1986~1990). We reviewed and classified on the basis of pathologic stage, tumor size, histologic pattern, cell type and nuclear grade. Mean age was 51 years old. Average tumor size was 7.3 cm in diameter. Six of 35 patients died of disease. Overall mean survival was 43.3+/-7.3 months. An increasing nuclear grade was generally correlated with a decrease in cummlative survival rate. Similarly, a higher stage at the time of diagnosis could predicated a low survival rate only for high nuclear grade carcinoma. There was an apparent positive correlation between grade and age, grade and size, grade and cell type, cell type and histologic pattern as well as stage and age. This positive correlations are in part a function of nuclear grade; only 20% of grade 3 & 4 tumor consisted of clear cells whereass 71% of grade 1 & 2 consisted of clear cell type. All 6 cases of granular cell types and 50% of mixed cell type were grade 3 & 4. The tumor size of the primary was well correlated with the nuclear grade. Nuclear grade was the most significant factor among the morphologic parameters studied.

• Keywords: Renal cell carcinoma;Morphologic parameters;Survival;