Advances in the staging of renal cell carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma is increasingly being diagnosed at an earlier stage owing to medical advances. Since the pathologic stage is the most crucial predictor of patient outcome, an accurate and universal tumor staging system is of outmost importance. The TNM staging system, after multiple revisions, has evolved into a more precise system that correlates with cancer specific survival. Renal cell carcinoma staging systems have important clinical implications pertaining to nephron sparing surgery and the need for adrenalectomy or lymphadenectomy.