Expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha and 2alpha in genetically distinct early renal cortical tumors.

Purpose: The role of the HIF class of transcription factors has been implicated to be a critical step in clear cell kidney tumorigenesis. To assess if HIF over expression is a prominent feature of other renal cell carcinoma histological subtypes we characterized the expression of HIF-1alpha and HIF-2alpha in genetically distinct early renal cortical tumors.

Materials And Methods: Nascent renal tumors of distinct histology from patients with a hereditary renal tumor syndrome were characterized for HIF expression using high amplification immunohistochemistry.

Highlights from the Society of Urologic Oncology, 5th Annual Meeting, December 3-4, 2004, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.

Purpose: The fifth annual meeting of the Society of Urologic Oncology was held December 3 and 4, 2004 in Bethesda, Maryland. The program provides a forum for the discussion of important issues in genitourinary malignancies among urologists, radiation oncologists and medical oncologists.

Materials And Methods: Agenda topics included kidney cancer, bladder cancer and prostate cancer.

Highlights from the Society of Urologic Oncology 4th annual meeting.

Purpose: The 4th annual meeting of the Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) was held December 5-6, 2003 in Bethesda, Maryland. The meeting was attended by urologists, medical and radiation oncologists, and researchers whose focus is genitourinary (GU) malignancies. More than 500 participants registered for the meeting.

Molecular mechanisms of renal development.

The biology of renal development has become increasingly complex because technical advances in genetics and cell biology have been used to study this aspect of embryogenesis. The molecular biology and genetics of renal development may seem inconsequential and frustrating to the practicing clinician, but insight into fundamental mechanisms of renal development are necessary to understand clinical breakthroughs that will occur in the future. As a basis for appreciating these concepts, specific paradigms of renal development are illustrated and the investigative strategies used to develop them are summarized in this article.