Erythrocyte sedimentation rates in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

The importance of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in patients with renal cell carcinomas (RCCa) is still controversial. ESR levels increased in over half of these patients. In this study, ESR levels of 19 patients with RCCa were investigated (85.368 +/- 5.914). In 11 patients in whom carcinomas were only localized in the kidney, the ESR levels were detected as 78.182 +/- 8.686. In 8 patients who had metastasis, the ESR levels were found as 95.250 +/- 6.427. ESR levels were also estimated in 15 healthy adult persons as control group (18.133 +/- 2.180). Mean ESR values were significantly higher in the tumor group than in the control group (p less than 0.01). There was no statistical difference of the ESR levels between the patients who had local RCCa and advanced RCCa (p greater than 0.05, NS). The removal of the tumoral mass caused the ESR levels to diminish. In conclusion, the ESR levels were not a good criteria in patients with RCCa for evaluating either prognosis or metastasis.