Smoking and alcohol use may be risk factors for poorer outcome in patients with clear cell renal carcinoma

Objectives. To correlate the clinical outcomes of 148 patients with clear cell renal carcinoma treated at a single institution with a variety of other factors. Methods. Cases were derived from a consecutive series of nephrectomy specimens obtained from 1980 to 1994. A retrospective review of clinical records was performed, with tobacco use, alcohol use, recurrence, and survival noted. Results. The median age of the patients was 62 years. The median follow-up was 4.4 years. Of 148 patients, 82% had localized disease (M0), and 18% had suspected metastases (M1) at the time of nephrectomy. Of 121 patients without metastases at diagnosis, T classification was assessed for 117: 48 (41%) had T1 disease, 18 (15%) T2, 46 (39%) T3, and 5 (4%) T4. The Fuhrman grade was 1 or 2 in 51% of patients and 3 or 4 in 45%. Both clinical stage and grade were significantly associated with overall survival ( P