Rising incidence of renal cell carcinoma in Ireland

To determine the trend in the incidence of renal cell carcinoma in Ireland, and evaluate changes in the modes of presentation and outcomes.

Data on all histologically diagnosed renal cancers in Ireland over a 12-year period (1994–2005) were retrieved from the database of the National Cancer Registry of Ireland. Data on all renal cancer deaths in Ireland in the period 1994–2004 were obtained from the Central Statistics Office.

There were 2,485 cases of renal cell carcinoma from 1994 to 2005, of which 64% were in males and 36% in females. The average age of females at diagnosis fell from 63 years in 1994 to 58 years in 2005, with little change in the average age in males. The age-adjusted incidence of renal cell carcinoma per 100,000 person-year increased from 5.2 in 1994 to 6.8 in 2005, an annual percentage change of +3.4%. The percentage of incidental renal cell carcinoma increased from 5% in 1999 to 21% in 2003. The age-adjusted mortality rate for males increased from 4.8 per 100,000 person-year in 1994 to 7.3 in 2004, while that for females decreased from 2.6 to 2.3 in the same period. There was no overall increase in survival over the study period.

While the incidence of renal cell carcinoma is increasing in Ireland, largely, but not entirely, due to an increase in incidentally diagnosed cancers, mortality is increasing in males only.