Genetics of Kidney Cancer (Renal Cell Cancer) (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version

Changes to This Summary (12/14/2018)

The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above.

Von Hippel-Lindau Disease (VHL)

Added text to state that fluid-filled epididymal cysts, or spermatoceles, are very common in adult men. In VHL, the epididymis can contain more complex cystic neoplasms known as papillary cystadenomas which are rare in the general population. Also revised text to state that these well-circumscribed lesions have variable amounts of cystic and papillary components that are lined with epithelial cuboidal or columnar clear cells. Among symptomatic patients, the most common presentation of epididymal cystadenoma is a painless, slow-growing scrotal swelling (cited Uppuluri et al. as reference 100).

Added text to state that a Danish study compared the life expectancy of individuals with VHL disease with that of their unaffected siblings, and demonstrated a median survival of 67 years in men and 60 years in women with VHL disease and an increased hazard ratio for death (cited Binderup et al. as reference 160).

This summary is written and maintained by the PDQ Cancer Genetics Editorial Board, which is editorially independent of NCI. The summary reflects an independent review of the literature and does not represent a policy statement of NCI or NIH. More information about summary policies and the role of the PDQ Editorial Boards in maintaining the PDQ summaries can be found on the About This PDQ Summary and PDQ® - NCI's Comprehensive Cancer Database pages.

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