I know it sounds like a bit of a cop-out, but the cause of death (as recorded on the death certificate) for this patient was:
1a Carcinomatosis
1b Adenocarcinoma of the Kidney
'Carcinomatosis' simply means that there was no definite single cause of death; carcinomatosis is carcinoma that has spread widely throughout the body via the lymphatic system, bloodstream or across the peritoneal cavity. The patient didn't succumb to bronchopneumonia (which is a commonly fatal complication of the bronchial tumour the patient had) or die from raised intracranial pressure and 'coning' of the cerebellar tonsils (common with brain metastases). Rather, there was a gradual 'fading away' which could be directly attributed to his tumours, and eventually he just died.
