COLLECTING DUCT CARCINOMA OF THE KIDNEY

Collecting duct carcinoma (CDC) is a recently recognised histological variety of renal carcinoma (RC) considered to arise from the epitheliu m of the collecting ducts. Diagnosis of this entity depends on well de fined gross and microscopic criteria and is supported by a characteris tic immunostaining pattern. The clinical features of these patients, t he natural course of the disease and its response to treatment have no t been clearly established. Between 1980 and 1990 we treated 12 patien ts (median age 43 years, range 16-62) with collecting duct carcinoma o f the kidney. In addition to being relatively young, each patient had a strong family history of associated malignancies. Survival was short (median 22 months) and 11 patients presented with locally advanced or metastatic disease.