Metabolic syndrome and renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of metabolic abnormalities, which has been regarded as a pivotal risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies focusing on the relationship between MS and cancer have recognized the significant role of MS on carcinogenesis. Likewise, growing evidence suggests that MS has a strong association with increased renal cell carcinoma (RCC) risk. This review outlines the link between MS and RCC, and some underlying mechanisms responsible for MS-associated RCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A National Center for Biotechnology Information PubMed search (http://www.pubmed.gov) was conducted using medical subject headings ‘metabolic syndrome’, ‘obesity’, ‘hypertension’, ‘diabetes’, ‘dyslipidemia’, and ‘renal cell carcinoma’. RESULTS: This revealed that a variety of molecular mechanisms secondary to MS are involved in RCC formation, progression, and metastasis. A deeper understanding of these molecular mechanisms may provide some strategies for the prevention and treatment of RCC. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, there is a large body of evidence regarding the link between MS and RCC, within which each component of MS is considered to have a close causal association with RCC.