The RCC medical abbreviation most often stands for renal cell carcinoma, a cancer arising in the cells that line the tiny tubes inside the kidney that filter blood and make urine. Renal means kidney and carcinoma means a cancer arising from lining cells. Among adults, it accounts for most kidney cancers.
Many kidney tumors are now discovered incidentally on a CT or ultrasound ordered for something else. You may see RCC on an imaging report, a pathology report after surgery or an oncology note. In a few other settings the same letters mean something unrelated, such as a blood product or part of the aortic valve, so the type of document matters.
At a glance
Stands for
Renal cell carcinomaOther meanings
Red cell concentrate (transfusion); right coronary cusp (aortic valve)Most common subtype
Clear cell, followed by papillary and chromophobeOrgan
Kidney, in the cells lining its small tubesWhere you see it
CT and MRI reports, pathology reports, oncology and urology notesSpecialty
Urology, oncology, radiology, pathology
What the RCC medical acronym means, cell by cell
Each kidney holds about a million filtering units, and each one drains through a small tube. RCC begins in the cells lining those tubes. Pathologists divide it into subtypes by how the cells look under the microscope. Clear cell RCC, named for cells that look pale and empty when stained, is the most common by a wide margin. Papillary RCC is next, and chromophobe RCC is less common. Several rarer subtypes exist.
The subtype matters because the subtypes behave differently and may respond to different treatments. Pathology reports also give a grade, which describes how abnormal the cells look, and a stage, which describes size and spread.
Reading RCC on imaging and pathology reports
CT impression: "3.4 cm enhancing solid mass, upper pole left kidney, suspicious for RCC. Recommend urology referral." Enhancing means the mass picks up contrast dye, which suggests it has a blood supply. Suspicious for means the radiologist thinks RCC is likely but tissue has not yet confirmed it.
After surgery, a pathology report might read RCC, clear cell type, grade 2, 3.4 cm, confined to kidney, margins negative. Margins negative means no cancer was seen at the cut edges of the removed tissue. The stage is often given with the TNM system, where T describes the tumor, N the lymph nodes and M any spread to distant organs.
Treatment terms you may see
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Partial nephrectomy | Removing only the tumor and a rim of healthy kidney |
| Radical nephrectomy | Removing the whole kidney, often with nearby fat |
| Active surveillance | Watching a small tumor with regular scans |
| Ablation | Destroying a small tumor with heat or cold through a needle, such as RFA |
| Systemic therapy | Medicines that travel through the body, used when cancer has spread |
The choice depends on the tumor size, location, stage and the person's overall kidney function and health. A urologist and often an oncologist explain the options.
Other meanings of the RCC medical abbreviation
Renal cell carcinoma is by far the leading meaning in patient records. Two other uses appear in narrower settings.
- Red cell concentrate is a transfusion product, also called packed red blood cells. It appears in blood bank orders, especially in countries that favor this term.
- Right coronary cusp is one of the three flaps of the aortic valve. It appears in echocardiogram and cardiac CT reports, often beside LCC and NCC, the left and noncoronary cusps.
A transfusion order or valve description makes these meanings obvious. If RCC appears in a kidney or cancer context, it is renal cell carcinoma.
Things to clarify after an RCC finding
- Is RCC confirmed, or is the mass only suspected to be RCC?
- What subtype, grade and stage were reported?
- Is the tumor small enough for surveillance or partial removal?
- How will my kidney function be checked over time?
This explanation is general. A urologist or oncologist who has reviewed your scans and pathology can explain what an RCC report means for your situation.
Frequently asked questions
What does RCC stand for in medical terms?
RCC most often stands for renal cell carcinoma, the most common type of kidney cancer in adults. In transfusion medicine it can mean red cell concentrate, and in heart imaging it can mean right coronary cusp.
Is RCC the same as kidney cancer?
RCC is the main type of kidney cancer in adults, but not the only one. Cancers of the kidney's urine collecting area and some childhood kidney tumors have different names.
What is clear cell RCC?
Clear cell RCC is the most common subtype of renal cell carcinoma. It is named for the pale look of its cells under the microscope.
What does suspicious for RCC mean on a CT report?
It means the radiologist sees a kidney mass with features that often go with RCC. Confirmation usually comes from a biopsy or from examining the tissue after surgery.