Tschirdewahn S, et al. - In 425 renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (344 clear cell [ccRCC], 63 papillary [pRCC], 18 chromophobe [chRCC]) patients in three partly overlapping cohorts, the prognostic ability of two different IMP3 immunohistochemical (IHC) antibodies was compared and the prognostic relevance of IMP3 plasma levels was assessed. Poor RCC prognosis was evident in independent relation to high plasma and tissue levels of IMP3. Multivariate analyses in clear cell RCC revealed high IMP3 plasma concentration and mRNA expression as independent predictors of disease-specific survival. They suggest IMP3 analysis has the potential utility for improving risk-stratification of RCC patients and therefore to optimize therapeutic and follow-up decisions.