Assesment of sarcomatoid differentiated renal cell carcinoma patients: single center experience

OBJECTIVES Sarcomatoid differentiation has been reported in 8% of whole renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and is associated with bad prognosis, increased risk of metastasis. METHODS Patients with RCC between April 2008 and July 2011 were analyzed, retrospectively. RESULTS There were 209 RCC patients. Rate of sarcomatoid differentiation was 3.3% (n=7). Median age was 53 (min 45-max 69). Patients were men. Histological subtype was clear cell carcinoma in 3 patients (42.9%) and chromophobic in 1 patient (14.3%). Five of the patients (71.4%) were stage 4, one of them (14.3%) was stage 3, and 1 of them (14.3%) stage 2. Interferon treatment was administered to 2 patients (28.6%) and antracyline based chemotherapy to 2 patients (28.6%) as systemic therapies. In median 1 month follow-up (min:1 - max:78) 4 of 7 patients (57.5%) were dead. CONCLUSION In the early stages of RCC, main treatment modality is surgery. Gemcitabine-adriamycin, are used for sarcomatoid differentiated RCC patients despite low response rates.