Prognostic Factors and Survival of Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma Patients with Bone Metastases

In our retrospective study the pathological and clinical factors, influencing the survival of 65 renal clear cell carcinoma patients operated for bone metastasis between 1990 and 2008 were examined. Based on Kaplan-Meier curves age, gender, clinical symptoms, pathological fracture, progression to the soft tissues, localization and size of the metastasis, whether the occurrence of multiplex metastases is multiorganic or only located to the skeletal system and the stage and grade of primary renal cancer did not influence the survival. The survival significantly improved if the bone metastases were solitary, low Fuhrman grade, late onset; and radical surgery was performed. Based on Cox regression analysis, survival after bone surgery was influenced by the multiplicity and grade of metastasis and by the radicality of the surgery, whereas survival after nephrectomy was significantly influenced by onset time and grade of metastasis. When the solitary metastasis was radically removed, 75.0% of the patients survived the first, and 35.5% the fifth postoperative year. If the metastasis was multiple or the surgery was not radical, no patient survived the fifth year. This is the first report on the prognostic significance of the Fuhrman grade of bone metastasis of renal cell cancer. While the Fuhrman grade of the primary tumour did not influence the survival, the lower grade of metastasis was associated with a significant longer survival. Therefore in cases of solitary, operable, late onset metastases with low Fuhrman grade radical removal is recommended, since this way in 35.5% of cases 5 year survival can be expected.