Current guidelines on radiological follow-up (FU) for patients after treatment for nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are not based on robust evidence. This review aims to evaluate whether the 2022 European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines are noninferior, in terms of recurrence and (overall) survival, to a higher imaging frequency of computed tomography (CT) of the chest and abdomen.
A literature search of relevant search machines (PubMed/Medline and EMBASE) was performed up to May 29, 2024. Studies describing patients with nonmetastatic RCC who underwent curative treatment by means of partial or radical nephrectomy were included. Studies with a higher number of CT scans than recommended by the EAU were compared with those that followed guidelines by examining recurrences and survival data. Outcomes were classified into risk groups according to the 2022 EAU guidelines.
Twenty studies met our inclusion criteria. Sixteen (80%) studies employed a higher imaging frequency during FU compared with 2022 EAU guideline recommendations, two studies (10%) followed the guidelines, and two studies (10%) performed less imaging. Recurrences were rare in low-risk studies (0-7.6%) and varied among high-risk studies, ranging between 33% and 40% in randomized controlled trials and 11% and 28% in retrospective studies. A meta-analysis was not suited due to clinical diversity, and the risk of bias was high among cohort studies.
Most studies employ a higher imaging frequency during FU after treatment for nonmetastatic RCC than recommended by the 2022 EAU guidelines. Survival and recurrence rates suggest that more frequent imaging than recommended by the EAU may not be advantageous, although high-quality evidence is needed to further improve guidelines.
In this review, we assessed radiological follow-up schedules for patients after surgery for kidney cancer and compared these with the follow-up schedules recommended by the European Association of Urology guidelines. We found that most studies apply more frequent imaging during follow-up than recommended by guidelines, although survival and recurrence rates are similar among studies with different imaging frequencies. We conclude that more frequent imaging than recommended by guidelines may not be necessary and that prospective studies are needed to determine whether imaging can be reduced further during follow-up.
European urology oncology. 2024 Dec 10 [Epub ahead of print]
Luna van den Brink, Marlin A A Reijerink, Michael M E L Henderickx, Axel Bex, Faridi S Jamaludin, Harrie P Beerlage, Otto M van Delden, Reindert J A van Moorselaar, Jaap Stoker, Shandra Bipat, Patricia J Zondervan
Department of Urology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Imaging and Biomarkers, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: ., Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., Department of Urology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., Department of Urology, Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Urology, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK., Medical Library AMC, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., Department of Urology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Imaging and Biomarkers, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., Department of Urology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., Imaging and Biomarkers, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.