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Background: The present study was conducted to investigate the incidence of renal cell carcinoma by sex, age group and different regions in Japan. Methods:The survey was conducted from the beginning of January 1997 to the end of December 1997. A total of 1306 Institutions in all 47 prefectures throughout Japan were requested to register cases.Results: There were 6358 persons with renal cell carcinoma, consisting of 4372 men and 1986 women. The age-specific incidence rates showed a peak in the age group of 65-70 years in both men and women. The crude incidence rates per 100 000 population for men and women were 7.1 and 3.1, respectively, and age-standardized incidence rates per 100 000 population for men and women were 4.9 and 1.8, respectively. The incidence rates in the Hokkaido region were significantly higher than in other regions (P < 0.05), among which there was no significant difference in incidence rates. Conclusions:The present study showed that the incidence rates of renal cell carcinoma in Japan were approximately the same as among Japanese in Los Angeles. The rates were, however, lower than North American and European countries, but higher than China, Central or South American countries and African countries. The reasons for the high incidence of renal cancer in the Hokkaido region are not entirely clear. Further epidemiologic research is required.

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This study is an anatomical investigation of the angular branch of thoracodorsal artery, and examines the possible range of clinical targets for pedicled vascularised scapular bone graft. Forty-six cadavers were studied. The blood vessel length was calculated, and the distance required to reach the distal humerus from the lower end of the articular surface of the humeral head as reference point was compared with bone length. The length from reference point was an average of 121.7 mm. It was thought that the maximum distance to arrive in reference point to the distal humerus was a total of blood vessel length and transplantation bone length, which was an average of 246.3 mm. This was longer than the average of 240.8 mm of bone length from reference point to humeral medial condyle. This study had confirmed that a pedicled vascularised scapular bone graft using the angular branch could be transplanted to the distal humerus.

These results suggested that sex, age, symptom, tumor size, growing type, and stage were important prognostic factors in renal cell carcinoma.