Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC) is a tumour predisposition syndrome characterised by predisposition to cutaneous and uterine leiomyomata and renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
To define the clinical findings, molecular genetics, and prognosis in a cohort of 69 families with a fumarate hydratase (FH) pathogenic variant and/or clinical features of HLRCC.
Clinical and molecular findings were obtained for 185 individuals from 69 families from four UK regional genetics clinics.
Ages at confirmed diagnoses, last dates of follow-up, and molecular results were attained for probands and relatives. To study the effect of potential ascertainment bias, phenotypes of probands and their affected relatives were compared.
A germline FH variant (19 novel and 21 known, >50% missense variants) was identified in 68/69 probands and 90 relatives. Cutaneous leiomyomata occurred in 90/185 (48.6%) individuals (mean age 45.9 yr) and uterine leiomyomata in 33/107 (30.8%) females (mean age 35.0 yr). Of 185 individuals, 23 (12.4%) had a confirmed renal tumour, and histopathology where known (n = 18) was variable: seven clear cell RCCs, nine papillary RCCs (six of type 2), one collecting duct tumour, and one tumour with oncocytic cystic morphology. Mean age at symptomatic RCC diagnosis was 44.0 yr and median survival was 21.0 mo. Eighty-one individuals underwent 187 renal imaging surveillance scans; three stage 1 RCCs were detected. Mean survival of individuals diagnosed with stage 1/2 RCC was significantly longer than those diagnosed with stage 3/4 RCC (p = 0.0004).
Management of HLRCC is challenging as RCC occurs in a minority of cases but is highly aggressive. This large multicentre series has identified novel features and evidence that renal screening in HLRCC detects early-stage RCCs.
We show that hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer is associated with a 21% lifetime risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC; 95% confidence interval 8.2-37.1), and renal imaging screening detects early-stage RCC.
European urology oncology. 2019 Dec 09 [Epub ahead of print]
Claire Forde, Derek H K Lim, Yousef Alwan, George Burghel, Laura Butland, Ruth Cleaver, Abhijit Dixit, D Gareth Evans, Helen Hanson, Fiona Lalloo, Pedro Oliveira, Lindsey Vialard, Yvonne Wallis, Eamonn R Maher, Emma R Woodward
Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine and NW Laboratory Genetics Hub, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK., West Midlands Regional Genetics Service, Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK., Department of Clinical Radiology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK., Department of Clinical Genetics, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, City Hospital Campus, Nottingham, UK., Peninsula Clinical Genetics, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Exeter, UK., Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine and NW Laboratory Genetics Hub, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK; Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Health Innovation Manchester, Manchester, UK., South West Thames Regional Genetics Service, St George's NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK., Department of Histopathology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK., West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory, Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK., Department of Clinical Genetics, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK; Department of Medical Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, National Institute for Health Research, Cambridge, UK., Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine and NW Laboratory Genetics Hub, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK; Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Health Innovation Manchester, Manchester, UK. Electronic address: .