Tunuguntla HSGR et al. - Several molecular markers appear promising to refine the prognosis and prediction of localized, advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Currently carbonic anhydrase IX is the best studied and promising marker. Methods
A review of literature on molecular biomarkers in RCC and their prognostic significance
Articles published during 1981-2007 on RCC were surveyed using the MEDLINE database
Currently known RCC biomarkers at various stages of development, and their clinical significance are presented
Results
Several biomarkers are being investigated in RCC, of which many relate to pathogenic molecular changes
Carbonic anhydrase IX is a von Hippel-Lindau mediated enzyme that is expressed in most renal cell carcinoma cases
High (>85%) expression of this marker indicates favorable prognosis and may predict the response to IL-2 therapy
B7-H1 expression in RCC cells/lymphocytes may indicate worse survival, possibly through impaired host antitumor immunity
Prognostic nomograms incorporating clinical variables and molecular markers to refine the prediction of treatment outcomes are in development and await clinical validation
