Young age is independent prognostic factor for cancer-specific survival of low-stage clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To clarify the clinicopathologic features and prognosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in young adults. The features of RCC in young adults have been reported, but the results have been conflicting.

METHODS: The data from 619 patients with RCC were analyzed. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to age at diagnosis, 55 years of age. The clinicopathologic parameters were compared, and a survival analysis was performed.

RESULTS: Younger patients were more likely to have a lower disease stage (P < .001), lower nuclear grade (P = .018), and smaller tumor size (P = .005) and a greater 5-year cancer-specific survival rate (P < .001) than older patients. Young age was a favorable prognostic factor for cancer-specific survival of clear cell RCC (P < .001). On multivariate analysis, young age was independently associated with a longer cancer-specific survival rate of clear cell RCC (P = .003). In addition, the prognostic implication of age differed between low (I or II) and high (III or IV) stage tumors. In low-stage clear cell RCC, young age was significantly associated with prolonged cancer-specific survival on univariate (P < .001) and multivariate (P = .007) analyses, but not in high-stage clear cell RCC (P = .906).

CONCLUSIONS: RCC in patients <55 years presented with a lower stage, lower nuclear grade, and smaller size than did the older patients. Young age was an independent prognostic factor for cancer-specific survival of low-stage clear cell RCC.