Collecting duct carcinoma of the kidney: Disease characteristics and treatment outcomes from the National Cancer Database

Abstract

Objective: To use a large population-level database to assess survival outcomes for collecting duct renal cell carcinoma (CDRCC).

Materials and methods: The National Cancer Database was queried for all cases of CDRCC and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) from 2004 to 2013. After removing patients with other cancer diagnoses, the analytic cohort was composed of 201,686 CCRCC and 577 CDRCC cases. Kaplan-Meier and cox proportional hazards analysis were employed to model survival.

Results: Compared to CCRCC, patients with CDRCC presented with higher grade and stage, node positive, and metastatic disease (70.7% vs. 30.0% with metastasis; P<0.001). Overall median survival for CDRCC was 13.2 months (95% CI: 11.0-15.5) compared to the 122.5 months (95% CI: 121.0-123.9) for CCRCC. On multivariate analysis of the CDRCC cohort, increasing T stage, high-grade disease, and metastasis were predictors of mortality. Of 184 patients with metastatic CDRCC, 113 underwent cytoreductive nephrectomy (CNx) whereas the rest were treated with chemo/radiation or observed. Survival outcomes were improved in patients who received both CNx with chemo/radiation compared to CNx alone (hazard ratio = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.32-0.79) or chemo/radiation alone (hazard ratio = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.37-0.89) on multivariate analysis.

Conclusion: CDRCC is an aggressive subtype of renal cell carcinoma. Median survival is 13 months after diagnosis, drastically lower than for CCRCC. More than 70% of patients have metastatic disease at diagnosis. Chemo/radiation in addition to CNx is associated with a survival benefit over single mode therapy.

Keywords: Chemotherapy; Collecting duct carcinoma; Renal cancer; Survival.