Objectives: To present our experience regarding a rare neoplasm of the kidney, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Methods: A total of 14 patients with a diagnosis of SCC were identified on the basis of a retrospective analysis of medical records of patients who underwent surgery for renal cancers between 2015 and 2021 at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation. IBM SPSS v25 was used to record and analyze data.

Results: Most patients found to have SCC of the kidney were male (71.4%). The mean (SD) patient age was 56 (13.7) years. Flank pain was the most common presenting symptom (n = 11; 78.6%) followed by fever (n = 6; 42.9%). Only 4 (28.5%) of the 14 patients had a preoperatively established diagnosis of SCC; the remaining 10 (71.4%) had an incidental finding of SCC on their histopathology specimen. The mean (SD) overall survival was 5 (4.5) months.

Conclusions: SCC of the kidney is a rare upper urinary tract neoplasm reported in the literature. The gradual onset of vague symptoms, lack of pathognomonic signs, and inconclusive radiological features make the disease unsuspected in most cases, therefore delaying diagnosis and treatment. It usually presents at an advanced stage, and the prognosis is often poor. A high index of suspicion is warranted in patients with chronic kidney stone disease.

Arslan Shah is an accomplished and compassionate final-year resident of urology at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplant Karachi, Pakistan. Driven by a commitment to advancing the understanding and treatment of urologic cancers, he has actively engaged in innovative research endeavors during his training. His contributions have been published in well-regarded medical journals, covering a wide range of topics in urologic oncology. He has also presented his research findings at national and international conferences, fostering knowledge dissemination and collaboration among experts in the field. As Dr. Arslan approaches the culmination of his residency, his ultimate goal is to pursue a highly specialized fellowship in Urologic Oncology, with a focus on surgical management of complex cases along with acquiring extensive training in minimally invasive surgery including, laparoscopic and robotics.