Clinical and pathologic tumor size in renal cell carcinoma: difference, correlation, and analysis of the influencing factors

Objectives. To investigate the relation between the clinical and pathologic size and to identify the factors that affect this relationship. The clinical size of the tumor is essential for choosing the appropriate treatment in renal cell carcinoma. The pathologic size, on the other hand, is an important prognostic indicator. Methods. We reviewed the charts of 291 open nephrectomy patients treated for nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma. Clinical size was defined as the largest diameter on contrast-enhanced computed tomography. Pathologic size was defined as the largest diameter on pathologic examination. The clinical and pathologic sizes were compared, and their correlation was analyzed. The effect of various clinical and pathologic factors on the percentage of the size difference (%Δsize) was analyzed. Results. The mean clinical and pathologic size was 5.4 ± 3.2 and 5.3 ± 3.3 cm, respectively. The difference was not significant ( P = 0.1679). The clinical and pathologic size also correlated highly ( r = 0.9540; P