Renal Cell Carcinoma: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

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Renal Cell Carcinoma: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

A 62-year-old male with a history of tobacco abuse, obesity, hypertension, kidney stones, alcoholism, and hypothyroidism presents to the clinic complaining of “bright red urine,” flank pain, and weight loss. Physical exam is remarkable for a palpable flank mass. Which of the following is NOT a risk factor for this patient’s likely diagnosis?

A. Smoking
B. Hypertension
C. Obesity
D. Alcoholism
E. Kidney stones

Answer and topic summary

The answer is D. Alcoholism

Renal cell carcinoma accounts for 3% of adult malignancies. The most common type of RCC is clear cell carcinoma. Risk factors for RCC include smoking, hypertension, obesity, cystic disease, occupational exposures (e.g., asbestos and petroleum), kidney stones, and chronic kidney disease. Clinical manifestations of RCC vary, and sadly many patients have advanced metastatic disease with no symptoms. If the patient does have symptoms, they may have pain, hematuria, flank mass, scrotal varicoceles. More rare symptoms include anemia, fever, liver dysfunction, thrombocytosis, hypercalcemia, etc. The first usually test to diagnose RCC is an abdominal CT or sometimes abdominal ultrasound.

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Smarty PANCE Content Blueprint Review:

Covered under ⇒ PANCE Blueprint Renal System ⇒ Neoplastic Diseases of the Renal System (PEARLS) ⇒ Renal cell carcinoma (Lecture)

Also covered as part of the Internal Medicine and General Surgery PAEA EOR topic list