Molecular genetics and pathogenesis of renal cancer

Renal cancer is not a single disease; it comprises several different types of cancer, each with a different histology, a different clinical course, and different genetic changes¹ (Table 2.1). For each of these different tumour types, hereditary, familial, and sporadic forms exist. Most of our current knowledge was originally derived from studies on familial forms of the disease, but subsequent studies of sporadic cancers found similar changes² (Table 2.2). Recent developments in genetics and molecular biology have led to an increasing knowledge of the origin and biology of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which will be discussed separately for sporadic and inherited forms.