Genetic basis for kidney cancer: opportunity for disease-specific approaches to therapy.

BACKGROUND

Kidney cancer is not a homogenous entity; it is comprised of many different tumor types, with different biologies and molecular mechanisms leading to disease and therefore different treatment approaches.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the genetic basis and biochemical pathways underlying inherited forms of renal cancer, specifically in four described syndromes (von Hippel-Lindau [VHL], hereditary papillary renal cancer [HPRC], Birt-Hogg-Dubé [BHD] and hereditary leiomyomatosis renal cell carcinoma [HLRCC]), and to elucidate how the understanding of these diseases enables the possibility of disease-specific approaches to therapy.

METHODS

A systematic review of the published literature on inherited and sporadic forms of renal cancer was performed.

CONCLUSION

Understanding of the biology and mechanisms of different forms of kidney cancer provides an opportunity for development of new treatment options.