Predictive characteristics for disease recurrence and overall survival in non-metastatic clinical T1 renal cell carcinoma – results from the National Swedish Kidney Cancer Register

Abstract

Objective

Patients with clinical T1 renal cell carcinoma (cT1RCC) have risks for recurrence and reduced overall survival despite being in the best prognostic group. This study aimed to evaluate the association of different treatments on disease recurrence and overall survival using clinical and pathological characteristics in a nation-wide cT1RCC cohort.

Materials and methods

A total of 4,965 patients, registered in the National Swedish Kidney Cancer Register (NSKCR) between 2005 and 2014, with ≥ 5-years follow-up were identified: 3,040 males and 1,925 females, mean age 65 years. Times to recurrence and overall survival were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank test, and Cox regression models.

Results

Age, TNM-stage, tumor size, RCC-type, and performed treatment were all associated with disease recurrence. Patients selected for ablative treatments had increased risk for recurrent disease: hazard ratio (HR) = 3.79 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.69–5.32]. In multivariate analyses, age, gender, tumor size, RCC-type, N-stage, recurrence and performed treatment were all independently associated with overall survival. Patients with chRCC had a 41% better overall survival (HR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.44–0.78; p < 0.001) than ccRCC. Patients treated with partial nephrectomy (PN) had an 18% better overall survival (HR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.71–0.95, p < 0.001) than patients treated with radical nephrectomy.

Conclusions

Age, gender, T-stage, tumor size, RCC type and treatment modality are all associated with risk of recurrence. Furthermore, age, male gender, tumor size, N-stage and recurrence are associated with reduced overall survival. Patients with chRCC, compared with ccRCC and pRCC patients, and PN compared with RN treated patients, had an advantageous overall survival, indicating a possible survival advantage of nephron sparing treatment.

Keywords:

• Radical nephrectomy
• partial nephrectomy
• renal cell carcinoma
• T-stage
• TNM stage
• radiofrequency ablation
• cryoablation
• tumor size
• RCC type
• tumor recurrence
• overall survival

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the members of the NSKCR steering committee. The authors specially thank Soheila Hosseinnia and other collaborators at the Regional Cancer Centre Stockholm-Gotland for providing data from the NSKCR.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The study was supported by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR).