External Validation of TNM-C Score in Three Community Hospital Cohorts for Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Aim: To assess the general applicability of TNM-C scoring, which consists of TNM classification and preoperative C-reactive protein concentration, the predictive ability of the TNM-C score was externally validated for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) at three community hospitals. Patients and Methods: Seven hundred patients underwent radical or partial nephrectomy after being diagnosed with RCC: Out of the 700 patients, 518 with clear cell carcinoma served as the current study cohort. The predictive ability of the TMN-C score for cancer-specific survival (CSS) was estimated using Harrell's concordance index (c-index). Results: The c-index of the TNM-C score was 0.85 in the entire data set. CSS rates were clearly stratified according to the scoring model (p<0.001). Conclusion: Since TNM-C score alone (without pathological details) has a high predictive ability for the prognosis of ccRCC patients, it is generally applicable for use in community hospitals.