The objective of this course is to provide comprehensive, practical and up to date information on the most common renal tumors affecting the adult population. This is a practically oriented course that will address the ongoing educational needs of all surgical pathologists and pathology trainees. Emphasis will be placed on the practical aspects of the day-to-day practice of surgical pathology, including the use of ancillary techniques in the diagnosis and prognosis of these tumors.

Using a series of case presentations kidney tumors will be comprehensively reviewed, starting with specimen handling and ending with clinically relevant reporting. The topics to be discussed include specimen handling as it relates to pathology reporting requirements and tumor staging; current nomenclature of renal tumors; morphologic features of common benign and malignant tumors, especially the newly recognized renal cell carcinoma types; diagnostic dilemmas in renal tumors, such as evaluation of needle core biopsies and frozen section diagnoses; utility and limitations of ancillary techniques; and, finally, required data elements for reporting renal cell carcinomas, including data that are of clinical relevance for determining therapy and prognosis.

Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to: 1) Evaluate all types of renal tumor specimens; both routine and complex; 2) Confidently recognize, work up and report on all types of renal tumors affecting the adult population; 3) Resolve the most common diagnostic dilemmas; and, 4) Effectively use well established as well as newer ancillary techniques to aid in the diagnosis of renal tumors.

Registrants will be able to preview selected course material before the meeting, including virtual slides and images, on the USCAP website. A comprehensive course syllabus will be distributed at the time of the presentation. Following the meeting, additional material will be made available on the USCAP website.