Introduction: The incidence of kidney cancer is constantly increasing. The objective of this study was to report the characteristics of sporadic kidney tumours observed in a population of patients under the age of 45 years and to define prognostic factors based on a 5-year follow-up.
Material and methods: Between 1985 and 2003, 64 patients, with a mean age of 38 +/- 7 years, presenting with sporadic kidney cancer were included in this retrospective study.
Results: Sporadic kidney cancer was discovered incidentally in 39.1% of young adults, predominantly in women. Radical nephrectomy was performed in 57 cases and partial nephrectomy was performed in 5 cases. The distribution by histological type was comparable to that of the general population, but pathological examination of carcinomas showed a high Führman grade in 66% of cases. The mean follow-up was 72 59 months. The 3-year and 5-year overall survival was 79% and 76.7% respectively. The mortality rate was 25%: 13 specific deaths and 3 nonspecific deaths. TNM stage was a prognostic factor on univariate and multivariate analysis. The mode of discovery and the ASA score were also identified as prognostic factors on univariate analysis.
Conclusion: Sporadic kidney cancer is rare in adults before the age of 45 years and presents with symptoms. Earlier detection would allow an improvement of the prognosis.