ABSTRACT
Approximately 2-3% of all malignant tumors in adults develop in the kidney. In 85% of them, the tumor originates from cells of the proximal tubules and is known as Grawitz tumor, hypernephroma or renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In The Netherlands, the annual incidence of this, since recently, second most common urological tumor is about 11 per 100000 inhabitants. Men are twice as often afflicted as women, usually in the 5th-7th decades of life. The incidence of RCC has gradually increased over the years, and 5-year survival rates in contemporary series reach 60%. However, for patients with metastatic disease, the 2-year survival rate is between 0 and 20%1.
