Non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma: clinico-biological characteristics and therapeutic management except surgery

Non-clear cell renal cell carcinomas (nccRCC) account for nearly 25% of all kidney cancers, and represent a group of highly heterogeneous tumors both in terms of histological varieties and also oncogenic biological abnormalities. The clinical presentation as well as the prognosis of the patients is also very variable. Given the rarity of each tumor entity, there are very few clinical trials that have focused on a well-defined variety of non-clear cell cancer. So, it is difficult to interpret these studies, and therefore to develop clear recommendations for medical management of advanced disease. In this article, the main clinico-biological characteristics, as well as a summary of the clinical results obtained in patients with nccRCC cancer, except surgery, will be presented.