[Incidentally detected renal cancer. Prognostic factors]. / Tumores renales incidentales. Factores pronósticos.

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical and pathological characteristics of incidental renal tumors treated in our center. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective review is conducted of 318 nephrectomies comparing the clinico-pathological variables of renal tumors diagnosed incidentally with those of symptomatic renal tumors. The factors influencing disease-free survival are analyzed in both groups. RESULTS: In our experience, although incidental renal tumors presented better survival than symptomatic ones owing to their better pathological state and tumor grade, incidental diagnosis was not an independent influencing factor in the multivariate study. Only when patients were studied who did not present metastases on diagnosis did incidental diagnosis become an influencing factor very close to statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Incidental diagnosis is not an independent prognostic factor.