Significance of Intratumoral Fibrosis in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Intratumoral fibrosis (ITF) is a frequent histologic finding in solid organ tumors. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a highly vascularized tumor with different shapes and degrees of ITF and inflammation. ITF is a poor prognostic factor, especially in breast cancer, and is related to intratumoral necrosis (ITN) and intratumoral inflammation (ITI). However, the significance of ITF in RCC has not been fully studied. In this study, we evaluate the relationships between ITF and other clinicopathologic parameters associated with RCC prognosis. METHODS: ITF was evaluated in 204 clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) specimens according to presence and grade of fibrosis, degree of ITI, and presence of ITN. Lysyl oxidase (LOX) expression in tumor cells was also evaluated with clinicopathologic parameters. RESULTS: Among 204 CCRCC cases, 167 (81.7%) showed ITF, 71 (34.8%) showed ITI, 35 (17.2%) showed ITN, and 111 (54.4%) showed LOX expression. ITF correlated with Fuhrman nuclear grade (p = .046), lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (p = .027), and ITN (p = .036). Patients with ITF had a poor five-year overall survival rate (p = .104). CONCLUSIONS: ITF is related to other poor prognostic factors in CCRCC, such as Fuhrman nuclear grade, ITN, and LVI, but ITF itself had no significant correlation with prognosis of CCRCC.