BackgroundThe prognostic value of Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is still unclear. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic impact of HGF expression in a large cohort of chromophobe RCC (chRCC).MethodsPatients who underwent renal surgery due to chRCC were recruited. Clinical data was retrospectively evaluated. Tumor specimen were analyzed for HGF expression by immunohistochemistry.Results81 chRCC patients were eligible for analysis, thereof 37 (45.7%) patients were positive for HGF. No significant associations were found for HGF expression and clinical attributes in patients with chRCC. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no differences in 5-year overall survival (OS) for patients with HGF−compared to HGF+tumors (95.0% versus 90.9%; p = 0.410).ConclusionsIn chRCC HGF expression is not associated with parameters of aggressiveness or survival.