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Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) of the kidney accounts für 1-2% of all cancers and is the most common cancer arising in the adult kidney. The cause of RCC is not known. Several studies have shown a greater risk in smokers. Other factors are long-term dialysis and obesity, e.g. The morphological types of RCC have characteristic cytogenetic changes, but the details of genetic changes in renal tumorigenesis are not well understood. Approximately 13%-18% of patients with RCC have metastatic disease at initial presentation, and their prognosis remains unfavorable, because RCC is resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Only one-third of patients with RCC cured, and strenous efforts are being made to optimize immunotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic disease.

Since 1985 a special work group involved in the coordination of hospital cancer registries in Germany (AKKK) has been collecting, storing and analysing data on tumour patients, received from cancer centres, oncological departments and specialised practices. The documentation of tumour patients is based, among other things, on information concerning localisation, histological findings and tumour spread. The data are stored in a central database administered by the work group. At present it contains data on approximately 500,000 oncological patients. In the period from 1987 to 1992, 56,013 initial entries were made concerning patients with urological tumours. Of these cases, tumours of the kidney (n = 11,424) constituted 20.4%. In 94.6% of the cases, histological investigation revealed a renal cell carcinoma-pT1: 5.8%; pT2: 53.6%, pT3: 37.2% and pT4: 3.4%. Tumours of the urinary bladder (n = 16,246) constituted 29.0% of all urological tumours. In 93.8% of the cases a transitional cell carcinoma was detected-pTis: 1.0%; pTa: 36.9%; pT1: 29.6%; pT2: 16.9%; pT3: 11.4%; pT4: 4.4%. Transitional cell carcinomas of the ureter or of the collecting system (n = 1,846) constituted 3.3% of the cases. The proportion of testicular tumours (n = 6,594) amounted to 11.8%; 53.6% of these germ-cell tumours (n = 6,281) were seminomas and 46.6% were non-seminomas. In all, 66.3% of the cases were lymph-node negative. Tumours of the prostate (n = 19,903) constituted 35.5% of the cases. In the period from 1987 to 1992, the proportion of lymph-node-positive prostate carcinomas decreased from 39.8% to 16.2%. The detailed analysis of these data shows how the hospital cancer registries can support the discussion regarding diagnosis and therapy of urological tumours.

The psychological attitude towards the seat belt of 70 injured motor car passengers could be examined. The belt fastening rate was changed after the experience of having had an accident. Almost 80% of the questioned persons now always fasten their seat belt, whereas this is done only by 43% of the total collective. Although the usefulness of seat belts is not doubted by the majority of the questioned persons, almost 80% of them are afraid of difficulties concerning the loosening of seat belts.