Renal medullary-like carcinoma in an adult without sickle cell hemoglobinopathy

Abstract

Background: A 42-year-old white man with no significant prior medical history presented with macroscopic hematuria of 2 months' duration. His family history was notable for a maternal grandfather with kidney cancer.

Investigations: Urinalysis, CT, microscopic examination of tumor, immunohistochemical analysis of tumor, hemoglobin electrophoresis, molecular cytogenetic analysis, gene sequencing.

Diagnosis: Renal medullary-like carcinoma in an adult without sickle cell trait, sickle cell disease or other hemoglobinopathies.

Management: The patient underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy to remove the tumor and received adjuvant sorafenib (400 mg per day) as part of the E2805 ASSURE (Adjuvant Sorafenib or Sunitinib for Unfavorable Renal Carcinoma) trial. Metastatic recurrence of the tumor occurred 9 months after nephrectomy, for which the patient underwent tumor debulking and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, followed by chemotherapy consisting of gemcitabine (2,000 mg/m(2)) and doxorubicin (50 mg/m(2)), both given on day 1 of a 14-day cycle. After six cycles of drug treatment, the patient had achieved a partial response. The patient was managed by active surveillance for 4 months, when he developed further symptoms and disease progression was detected. Third-line systemic therapy in the form of 21-day cycles of cisplatin (80 mg/m(2) on day 1) and etoposide (100 mg/m(2) on days 1-3) has recently been initiated.