PREDICTORS OF MORTALITY FROM KIDNEY CANCER IN 332,547 MEN SCREENED FOR THE MULTIPLE RISK FACTOR INTERVENTION TRIAL

BACKGROUND. The authors examined predictors of mortality from kidney c ancer in 332,547 men who were screened as part of the Multiple Risk Fa ctor Intervention Trial. METHODS. The vital status of each member of t his cohort was ascertained through 1990. Death certificates were obtai ned from state health departments and coded by a trained nosologist. T hree hundred ninety-eight deaths due to kidney cancer occurred among t he cohort of 332,547 men after an average of 16 years of followup. The authors used the Cox proportional hazards model to study the joint as sociations of age, race, income, blood pressure, cigarette smoking, an d use of medication for diabetes with risk of death from kidney cancer . RESULTS. The authors observed independent associations with age, cig arette smoking status (relative risk [RR] = 2.02; 95% confidence inter val [CI], 1.65-2.48), and systolic blood pressure (relative risk [RR] = 1.12 for systolic blood pressure level 10 millimeters of mercury hig her; 95% CI, 1.06-1.18). The authors obtained similar results when dea ths that occurred during the first 5 years were excluded. CONCLUSIONS. These findings add to the increasing body of evidence that cigarette smoking and blood pressure level are modifiable risk factors for kidne y cancer in men. (C) 1997 American Cancer Society.