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Epidemiology of Renal Cell Carcinoma and Its Predisposing Risk Factors

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Urologic Oncology

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Abstract

A more complete picture of the epidemiology and risk factors for developing renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is rapidly emerging at the confluence of the seemingly disparate fields of toxicology, epidemiology, pathology, pharmacology, information technology, genomic medicine, and clinical oncology. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) of the National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute of the United States was launched in 2005. The primary goal for constructing the Cancer Genome Atlas was to provide researchers with comprehensive catalogs of the key genomic changes that occur in many major types and subtypes of cancer in order to accelerate advances in developing more effective ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer. The collection of samples is complete for the three most common forms of RCC: clear cell, papillary, and chromophobe. Extensive amounts of data are now publicly available via the Data Portal for the Genomic Data Commons (GDC). In addition, in 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a division of the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations, published an updated monograph in an extended series on human carcinogens and preventable exposures associated with human cancers. Subsequently, the IARC also published an update of the classification of renal tumors in 2016 based, in large part, on an extensive review of the literature that was conducted by the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP). Furthermore, multiple, large-scale epidemiologic studies and meta-analyses have helped to clarify the magnitude of the impact of certain predisposing risk factors for developing RCC including poorly understood and poorly appreciated differences in racial predisposition for the common histologic subtypes. The goal of this chapter is to present an update of these wide-ranging findings in a way that is well documented and easily understood.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, 1365 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    Wayne B. Harris

  2. Section of Hematology/Oncology, Medical Specialty Care, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 1670 Clairmont Road, Decatur, GA, 30033, USA

    Wayne B. Harris

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  1. Wayne B. Harris
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Correspondence to Wayne B. Harris .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Urology & Urologic Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany

    Axel S. Merseburger

  2. Dept. of Urology, University of Regensburg St. Josef Medical Centre, Regensburg, Germany

    Maximilian Burger

Section Editor information

  1. Klinik für Urologie, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538, Lübeck, Germany

    Mario W. Kramer

  2. Department of Urology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538, Lübeck, Germany

    Axel S. Merseburger

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Harris, W.B. (2017). Epidemiology of Renal Cell Carcinoma and Its Predisposing Risk Factors. In: Merseburger, A., Burger, M. (eds) Urologic Oncology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42603-7_55-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42603-7_55-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-42603-7

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