Management of comorbidities in diabetics with renal cell carcinoma: past utilization and current outcomes.

Objectives: This study evaluated whether particular diabetes mellitus (DM), hyperlipidemia, or hypertension pharmacotherapy was associated with improved renal cell carcinoma (RCC) outcomes in diabetics with emergent RCC.

Methods: All DM cases newly diagnosed with RCC at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (January 01, 2003-December 31, 2010) were included (n = 95). Baseline demographic information, clinical history, and cancer outcomes were documented after chart review. Fisher's test was used for the analysis of categorical outcomes across different treatment groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses for the comparisons of the overall survival and progression-free survival across treatment groups were assessed using Kaplan-Meier log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards models.

Results: We found that DM pharmacotherapy users, which may represent a more advanced disease as compared to those controlled by diet alone, displayed significantly greater mortality (P = .01). Additionally, we found that cholesterol-lowering pharmacotherapy use was associated with decreased RCC mortality (hazard ratio = 0.54, P = .06). Individuals receiving combined hypertension regimens had a lower chance to present with baseline metastasis; however, hypertension pharmacotherapy use added no survival benefit.

Conclusion: Reinforcing guidelines compliance for hyperlipidemia management in patients with DM may provide a considerable cancer benefit if diagnosed with RCC. Studies evaluating the need for cholesterol-lowering pharmacotherapy in guidelines-noncompliant DM cases upon RCC diagnosis are currently needed.