Surgical resection of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the benchmark for long-term cure of the disease.
Although open or laparoscopic radical nephrectomy is considered the gold standard for stage T1b-T4 tumors, nephron-sparing surgery is the preferred operative modality for small renal masses demonstrating equivalent oncologic efficacy and improved renal function outcomes compared with complete nephrectomy. With the advance of minimally invasive surgery, nephron-sparing procedures can safely be conducted laparoscopically with or without robotic assistance. RCC with intravenous tumor thrombus presents a surgical challenge, but multidisciplinary surgical approaches can provide long-term benefit in these patients. The role of cytoreductive nephrectomy and metastasectomy in patients with metastatic RCC (mRCC) is controversial, but seems to be beneficial for patients in the era of targeted therapy.
Written by:
Krabbe LM, Bagrodia A, Margulis V, Wood CG. Are you the author?
Department of Urology, the University of Muenster Medical Center, Muenster, Germany; Department of Urology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Department of Urology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
Reference: Semin Intervent Radiol. 2014 Mar;31(1):27-32.
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 24596437
UroToday.com Renal Cancer Section
