Prognostic implications of renal vein involvement in T3a renal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The TNM staging system is used globally as the standard for interpreting the extent of cancer. Currently, T3a renal cell carcinoma is classified as tumor extending into the perinephric fat or renal vein. Prognostic outcomes may vary among renal cell carcinomas with renal vein involvement (RVI) versus those with perinephric fat involvement (PFI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of all patients who underwent radical or partial nephrectomy at our institution by a single group of urologists between 2000 and 2014. After identifying those patients with T3a renal cell carcinoma, we further analyzed their prognostic features. Overall and disease-free survival using Kaplan-Meier analysis with log rank comparison was performed among patients with renal vein involvement and PFI. Gender, smoking status, age at diagnosis, body mass index, tumor grade, tumor size, and tumor histology were also analyzed. RESULTS: Of 139 patients with T3a renal cell carcinoma, 42 patients were found to have RVI, leaving 97 patients with PFI. Mean follow up was 52.1 months (0.3-183.4) versus 28.8 months (0.3-98.0) for patients with PFI and RVI, respectively. Overall survival (p < 0.048) and disease-free survival (p < 0.049) were significantly lower for patients with RVI. CONCLUSION: In our study, patients with T3a renal cell carcinoma that have RVI as opposed to PFI have lower overall and disease-free survival. These findings suggest that patient with T3a renal cell carcinoma with RVI should be monitored more closely than their counterparts with only PFI.