Understanding which patients are at a higher risk of poorer outcomes is essential to provide them with the best treatment. That’s why so many researchers focus on signs or markers that point to certain outcomes, whether that is survival, quality of life, etc. Recently Cancer published a study that investigated signs related to worse survival in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). It found that inflammation and sarcopenia are associated with worse survival in mRCC patients treated with cytoreductive nephrectomy.

About the Study

This study was a retrospective analysis (this team utilized the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium risk score) of the data from 158 mRCC patients (the median age was 61.9 years, 120 were male, and 48% met the criteria for sarcopenia) treated with cytoreductive nephrectomy between the beginning of 2001 until the end of 2014. Upon evaluation, researchers discovered:

• Sarcopenia associated with an elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR) ratio (an NLR greater than or equal to 3.5) was linked to the worst overall survival (OS) outcomes
• Sarcopenia was associated with:
  • Lower density of the skeletal muscles
  • Higher age at time of surgery
  • Lower BMI
  • Higher Motzer score
  • Higher NLR
• Worse OS outcomes were found to be predicted by:
  • No sarcopenia and a C-reactive protein (CRP) level of at least 10 mg/L
    • Sarcopenia and a CRP level of at least 10 mg/L was also linked to worse outcomes

At a 15.8 month follow-up, 99 of the 158 patients had passed away. Now, moving forward, researchers can use the knowledge gained here to better treat mRCC patients. If you want to read more, find the source article from Cancer Therapy Advisor. 

About Renal Cell Carcinoma

RCC is a form of kidney cancer that typically begins with a single tumor in one kidney but easily spreads to the lungs and throughout the body. Symptoms often do not appear until this spread has occurred, which can impact diagnosis and intervention. They include abdominal pain, fatigue, high blood pressure, bloody or discolored urine, weight loss, fever, enlarged testicles, varicose testis vein, and vision abnormalities.

While medical professionals are unsure as to what exactly causes RCC, they do know that there are a number of risk factors. These include smoking and a history of kidney problems. Research has also linked mutations in the TFE 3, PRC, and VHL genes to this cancer. Treatment consists of removing the kidney, bladder, and any necessary surrounding tissue. Other treatment options include Proleukin, chemotherapy, sorafenib, hormone treatments, ablation, and Afinitor.