Partial nephrectomy for renal tumors

We performed partial nephrectomy in 5 patients with renal tumors. In 1 patient with synchronous bilateral renal cell carcinoma, radical nephrectomy was conducted simultaneously for the contralateral kidney. The second patient had a transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis of the contralateral side, for which the pelvis was resected simultaneously. In the remaining 3 patients the contralateral kidney was normal. In these patients the tumor was less than 3.0 cm in size and localized in either the upper pole or peripheral region, for which partial nephrectomy was performed. The weight of the resected kidney ranged 6 to 35 g with a mean of 18.2 g. The tumor size was 1.8 to 4.0 cm, the mean being 2.4 cm. Tumor grading was renal cell carcinoma grade 1 in 2 patients, grade 2 in 2 patients and oncocytoma in one patient. In all patients the tumor was encapsulated with a pseudocapsule with no involvement of the perinephric fat, venous or regional lymph nodes, and the tumor was diagnosed as pT2V0N0M0, stage I. In none of the patients intraoperative or postoperative complications developed with renal function of the operated kidney normal. The follow up interval after the operation was 5 years in 1 patients and 6 months to 1 year and 2 months in the remaining 4 patients. All patients have survived without metastasis or local recurrence in the operated kidney. We believe that partial nephrectomy is worth performing in selected patients with renal cell carcinoma not only in those having lesion in solitary kidney or bilateral kidneys but also in those whose function of the contralateral kidney is normal.     

Long-term outcome of conservative surgery for kidney cancer: survival,blood pressure,and renal function

PURPOSE: Nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains controversial for elective indications (low stage RCC in the presence of a normal contralateral kidney). In this single center study survival rate and, as novel aspects, the frequency of postoperative arterial hypertension and renal function parameters were investigated to evaluate safety and efficacy of NSS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The complete data of 248 patients operated nephron-sparing for RCC between 1975 and 1995 were evaluated. One hundred and seventy-five patients were treated for elective indication (95% with tumor stage T1 or T2), 73 patients for mandatory indication (bilateral tumors, solitary kidney, renal insufficiency). The mean follow-up was 75 months (maximum 23 years). RESULTS: Mean tumor-size was lower under elective (3.8 cm) than under mandatory (4.7 cm) indication. Overall tumor-specific survival after 5 years for both indications was 88%. Comparing preoperative vs. follow-up values, arterial blood pressure and serum-creatinine values remained unchanged for both indications. The incidence of postoperative proteinuria (19% imperative, 11% elective indication) was strongly related to hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: NSS for RCC under elective indication achieves patient survival comparable to the results of radical nephrectomy. The presented data do not indicate significant longterm complications such as arterial hypertension, proteinuria or deterioration of renal function as a result of glomerulosclerosis or hyperfiltration. This gives further argument for the concept of NSS in RCC as an alternative to radical nephrectomy in the presence of a healthy contralateral kidney.     

Organ preserving surgery in kidney tumors

Between 1967 and 1989 102 patients underwent conservative surgery for renal tumors at the Department of Urology, Mainz Medical School. In 39 patients the indication for organ preserving surgery was imperative because of single kidney, bilateral tumors, benign pathology of the contralateral kidney or chronic renal failure. In the elective group 63 patients underwent tumor enucleation for small, peripheral lesions of uncertain dignity. Tumors removed for imperative indications varied in diameter from 2-11 cm (mean 5.5 cm) whereas those which were electively resected ranged from 1-7 cm (mean 3.2 cm). 74% of the electively enucleated tumors were detected in an early asymptomatic stage by routine ultrasound investigations. 58 of the 63 patients with elective indications are alive with no evidence of tumor after a mean follow-up of 35 months (5-90 months). One patient was lost to follow-up, 3 patients died of reasons unrelated to cancer, and only 1 patient died of progressive disease. These results indicate, that tumor enucleation is a safe and reliable technique in small, peripheral renal tumors and offers an adequate alternative to radical nephrectomy in selected patients.     

Partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma: indications, results and implications

Of 52 patients who underwent partial nephrectomy for tumor 44 were found to have renal cell carcinoma. The indications for this parenchyma-sparing procedure were categorized according to the initial status of the contralateral kidney and included bilateral tumors or tumor in a solitary kidney in 16 patients (mandatory indications), unilateral carcinoma with compromise of the contralateral kidney by a benign disease process in 9 (relative indications) and small peripheral tumor with a normal contralateral kidney in 19 (elective indications). There were 4 recurrences that accounted for 3 deaths, all in patients with mandatory indications. All patients who underwent partial nephrectomy for relative or elective indications were without definite evidence of recurrent disease at last followup (over-all mean 36 months). Our results suggest that conservative surgery can often provide effective and advantageous therapy for renal cancer and we encourage further consideration of the role of partial nephrectomy as an alternative to radical nephrectomy in selected patients with small peripheral tumors and normal contralateral kidneys.     

局限性肾癌保留肾单位手术20例分析

目的探讨保留肾单位手术（nephrom-sparing surgery,NSS）治疗局限性肾癌的安全性和疗效。方法回顾性分析20例行NSS肾癌患者的临床资料,其中双侧肾癌1例,孤立肾肾癌1例,对侧肾有病变或潜在功能损害的肾癌3例,对侧肾正常的肾癌15例。肿瘤直径平均3.9（1.3-7.4）cm。行肿瘤剜除术13例,肾部分切除术4例,肾楔形切除术3例。结果 20例患者手术均成功。术后平均随访29（15-37）个月,1例双侧肾癌患者术后14月出现远处转移死亡,1例术后12个月因局部复发改行根治性肾切除术,2例术后出现暂时性肾功能不全。结论 NSS治疗肾癌安全有效,尤其适用于局限性肾癌患者。     

Conservative surgery of renal cell tumors in 140 patients: 21 years of experience.

Operative method, course and complications were analyzed retrospectively in 140 patients who underwent a conservative operation for renal tumor between June 1969 and December 1990. In 53 patients (20 women and 33 men, mean age 61.2 years, range 38 to 77 years, with 49 renal cell carcinomas and 4 benign renal tumors) there was an imperative indication for an organ preserving operation because nephrectomy would have made dialysis obligatory. In 87 patients (29 women and 58 men, mean age 53.7 years, range 27 to 74 years, with 72 renal cell carcinomas and 15 benign renal tumors) the tumor was conservatively resected in the presence of a normal contralateral unit (elective indication) and 68 of these patients (78%) were symptom-free. In the imperative group 32 of 49 patients (65.3%) with renal cell carcinoma had no evidence of disease after a mean followup of 4.6 years. Known metastases were present in 4 of 7 patients who died of the tumors in this group. In 3 patients with an imperative indication for conservative surgery a second tumor occurred in the kidney: 2 were treated with further parenchyma sparing operations, while in 1 with poor physical condition no further measures were possible. Of 72 patients with renal cell carcinoma who underwent an elective operation 68 (94.4%) had no signs of tumor progression after a mean followup of 3.3 years. One patient died of tumor metastases, and 2 (2.7%) had tumor recurrence in the kidney requiring nephrectomy and enucleation, respectively. The 5-year cause-specific survival rates for the imperative and elective groups were 84% and 96%, respectively. Patients with a local stage T3 tumor were characterized by a significantly worse survival curve than those with a stage T1 or T2 tumor but no significant difference was noted among the various grades of differentiation.     

Nephron sparing surgery for central renal tumors: experience with 33 cases

PURPOSE: Nephron sparing surgery is standard treatment for small, peripherally located renal cell carcinoma. In patients with a solitary kidney, bilateral tumors or impaired renal function nephron sparing surgery provides the only option to nephrectomy and subsequent hemodialysis or transplantation. We retrospectively investigated the value of nephron sparing surgery for centrally located renal cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1969 and 1997, 311 renal tumor enucleations were performed at our institution. The tumor was centrally located in 33 cases. The indication for enucleation was elective in 7 cases and imperative in 26, including bilateral tumor in 16 (metachronous in 9 and synchronous in 7), chronic renal failure in 4 and solitary kidney in 6. Four patients had metastasis at enucleation. RESULTS: Convalescence was unremarkable in 28 cases. Hemorrhage occurred in 1 patient, a urinary fistula in 2 and a local abscess secondary to a urinary fistula in 1. One patient died postoperatively of heart failure. Average serum creatinine was 1.25, 1.63 and 1.33 mg./dl. preoperatively, at hospital discharge and at a mean followup of 33 months, respectively. Hemodialysis was necessary transiently during convalescence in 1 patient and permanently starting 6 years after enucleation in another. Definitive histology revealed oncocytoma in 4 cases and renal cell carcinoma in 29. Disease was stages pT1 to pT3 in 9, 18 and 2 cases, and grades 1 to 3 in 6, 18 and 5, respectively. Local recurrence developed in 2 patients. Mean followup was 5.2 years (range 0.3 to 16.7). At a mean followup of 6.2 years (range 0.7 to 16.7) 20 patients were free of disease. In addition to the patient who died postoperatively, 9 died of renal cell carcinoma at a mean of 1.6 years (range 0.3 to 5.3) and 3 died of other causes at 5, 11 and 12 years postoperatively, respectively. No patient who underwent elective enucleation died. CONCLUSIONS: Nephron sparing surgery for centrally located kidney tumors is technically feasible and associated with an acceptable complication rate. Local tumor control is excellent, and the overall prognosis depends on contralateral disease and metastasis. Benign tumors may be diagnosed and removed without loss of the kidney. By avoiding hemodialysis quality of life is improved.     

双侧肾细胞癌21例报告

目的 探讨双侧肾细胞癌手术治疗的疗效。方法 1990年1月至2005年1月收治双侧肾细胞癌患者21例。其中同时性10例，异时性11例。肿瘤位于肾上极15枚，中极19枚，下极20枚；左肾28枚，右肾26枚。肿瘤直径0．5～16．0cm，平均4．5cm。2例伴下腔静脉癌栓。17例经手术治疗。6例同时性肾癌中，5例行双侧一期手术，1例行分期手术。其中1例行双肾部分切除术；1例行双肾部分切除及左肾上腺切除术；3例行一侧肾癌根治术及对侧肾部分切除术；1例行一侧肾癌根治术，对侧肾部分切除术及下腔静脉切开取癌栓术。11例异时性肾癌均分期手术。其中3例行双肾部分切除术；1例行一侧肾癌根治术，对侧肾肿瘤剜出术；1例行一侧肾癌根治术，对侧肾部分切除术加下腔静脉切开取癌栓术；6例行一侧肾癌根治术，对侧肾部分切除术。未行手术治疗4例．其中行介入治疗1例，生物学治疗1例，保守治疗2例。结果 21例随访3个月～24年，平均3．4年。17例手术治疗者中，13例未见肿瘤复发和转移，术后肾功能均可；1例术后10个月出现左上肺转移，已带瘤存活9个月；1例术后1年出现残肾肿瘤复发，经生物学和中药治疗，已带瘤存活5个月；2例死于肿瘤转移。4例未手术者中，1例10个月后死于胰腺转移，1例4个月后死于肾衰竭，1例6个月后死于脑血管意外，1例伴腹膜后淋巴结转移者经化疗和生物学治疗，病情稳定，已带瘤存活7个月。异时性肾癌者的先发一侧行肾癌根治术，对侧肾出现肿瘤的时间为7个月～18年。结论 双侧肾癌并非手术禁忌，如果采取积极的治疗措施，仍可获得满意的手术效果。保肾手术是目前较为理想的治疗方法，如果保留足够的肾实质，患者仍可获得良好的生存状态。     

肾癌保留肾单位手术的临床价值(附17例报告)

目的　评价肾癌保留肾单位手术的临床价值。　方法　回顾性研究 17例行保留肾单位手术的肾癌患者临床资料 ,其中单侧 15例 ,双肾异时性肾癌且一侧为多发肿瘤 2例。绝对指征 2例 ,相对指征 6例 ,选择性指征 9例。肿瘤直径 2～ 6cm ,均为T1期 (1997年TNM标准 ) ;行改良肾肿瘤剜除术 (切缘于肾肿瘤外 1cm正常肾实质处 ) 15例 ,肾上极切除术 1例 ,楔形切除术 1例。 2 0例同期肾癌临床及分期相当但行根治性手术的患者资料作随访对照 ,并作生存率时序检验。　结果　 17例患者随访 3～ 6 3个月 ,平均 35 .2个月 ,未见并发症及残肾肿瘤复发。无瘤生存率与根治性手术者相近。　结论　肾癌保留肾单位手术安全、有效 ,适合于对侧肾功能正常、一侧局限的偶发肾肿瘤患者。     

Nephron-sparing surgery--strategies for partial nephrectomy in renal cell carcinoma.

The use of partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma has continuously changed in the clinical practice. Previously it was mostly used in imperative cases, in patients with a solitary kidney or in patients with a risk of renal failure. An increased number of incidentally detected renal cell carcinomas are diagnosed due to the advances of the radiological methods. These tumours tend to be smaller and generally with a lower stage. The reported excellent results of partial nephrectomy have promoted the use of nephron-sparing surgery also in patients with a normal contralateral kidney and tumours smaller than 4-5 cm. The technical outcome is excellent with a low operative morbidity and a good oncologic control. Therefore partial nephrectomy has become a standard technique in the treatment of properly selected patients. Laparoscopy with its reduced postoperative pain and shorter rehabilitation time, has encouraged the interest in minimally invasive nephron sparing surgical techniques. Although low, the risk of local tumour recurrence and surgical complications are higher after nephron-sparing surgery compared with radical nephrectomy. Furthermore, long-term renal function remains adequate in most patients with a normally functioning contralateral kidney also after radical nephrectomy. Albeit these facts, there is convincing evidence justifying nephron-sparing surgery to be used routinely for patients with a small renal cell carcinoma and a normal functioning contralateral kidney.     

保留肾组织手术治疗肾癌

１９８９年１２月～１９９７年４月行保留肾组织手术治疗肾癌１４例，其中双侧肾癌５例，对侧肾有病变或潜在功能受损的肾癌３例，对侧肾正常肾癌６例。肿瘤平均直径２９ｃｍ，病理分期为Ｔ１、Ｔ２。１４例中５例行剜出术，９例行肾部分切除术。本组术后无外科并发症，平均随访４６６个月，无瘤存活１２例，无局部复发。存活时间超过７年者２例，５年者４例，３年者１例，１年者２例，半年者３例。保留肾组织手术是早期局限性肾癌的有效治疗方法，可用于对侧肾正常、肿瘤体积较小的早期肾癌的治疗     

保留肾单位手术治疗早期肾癌的长期疗效观察

目的：探讨保留肾单位手术治疗早期肾癌的临床应用价值。方法：对采取保留肾单位手术治疗的23例孤立肾或对侧肾功能不全的早期肾癌临床资料进行回顾性分析。结果：术后均未发生严重并发症，术后病理均为T1a期，其中透明细胞癌19例，嫌色细胞癌2例，乳头状肾癌1例，囊性肾癌1例。术后平均随访44．7个月，肿瘤复发1例，复发率为4．3％。1年、3年无瘤生存率分别为100％(23／23)、93．8％(15／16)。随访期间未出现肾功能衰竭而需透析治疗者。结论：孤立肾或对侧肾功能不全的早期肾癌，是施行保留肾单位手术的绝对指征，在最大限度保留肾功能的前提下可以获得与根治性肾切除相似的疗效。     

Surgical management in synchronous bilateral renal cell carcinoma

Six patients with synchronous bilateral renal cell carcinoma were treated surgically over a 7-year period in our department. They were all males and the mean age was 60.3 years. They comprised 7.1% of all patients with renal cell carcinoma encountered during the same period. In four out of the six cases, radical nephrectomy for the larger tumor plus partial nephrectomy for contralateral kidney was performed simultaneously. In the remaining two cases, bilateral partial nephrectomy was performed simultaneously or as separate procedures. Two patients required chronic hemodialysis and died of cardio-pulmonary insufficiency on the 70th and 75th day. One patient, who underwent bilateral partial nephrectomy with incomplete tumor removal, subsequently died of metastatic disease at 27 months. Although one of them required transient hemodialysis, the remaining three patients were alive and disease-free 84, 42, and 17 months after operation, without evidence of tumor. This series suggests that partial nephrectomy is an appropriate option in the management of selected cases of bilateral renal cell carcinoma.     

Clinical review of conservative management of upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma

We reviewed 18 patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and ureter undergoing nephron-sparing surgery between April 1990 and Febrary 2003. The mean age of the patients, 17 males and one female, was 69 years (range 33-88 years). The tumor site was the renal pelvis in 2, ureter in 13 and ureteral orfice in 2. Six of them were imperative cases and 12 were elective. Eight patients underwent endourological treatment and 10 patients open surgery including partial ureterectomy performed on 8 patient. The follow up period was 3 to 104 months (mean 37 months). Among those defined as imperative, the histopathological stage was pT1 in one, pT2 in one, pT3 in 3 and one in pT4. Among the elective cases, the histopathological stage was pTa in 7, pT1 in 2, pT2 in one, pT3 in 2 patients. Of the three defired as elective with tumors cT2 or higher, two died of disease. The 5-year survival rate was 50% and 68% in the imperative and elective cases, respectively. In the patients with tumors pT2 or higher and/or grade 3, the prognosis was poor which suggests the need for intensive therapy including lymph node dissection and/or adjuvant chemotherapy. It is necessary to consider the possibility of selecting nephron-sparing surgery for locally advanced tumors.     

Conservative surgery of renal cell carcinoma

From 1967 to 1985 conservative surgery (enucleation, n = 49; partial resection, n = 7) was performed for renal tumors in 57 patients (age 31-77, mean 54.8 years). Imperative indications for conservative surgery (n = 29) were chronic renal failure, benign pathology of contralateral kidney, functional or anatomical solitary kidney, and bilateral tumors. Elective conservative surgery (n = 28) was done for small, peripherally located lesions, in cases of uncertain malignancy and in one tumor detected by chance during stone surgery. Tumors removed for imperative indications were 2-11 cm (mean 5.8 cm) in size. In the elective group, tumor size ranged from 1 to 7 cm (mean 3.3 cm). Follow-up was 6-103 months (mean 35.8 months). In the group with imperative indications, there was 1 postoperative mortality; 18 of 29 patients are alive without evidence of disease, 2 with metastases, and 2 were reoperated conservatively for local recurrences; 1 was lost to follow-up, 2 died of metastases, and 3 died due to unrelated reasons. In the elective group all 28 patients are living free of cancer.     

Outcome of nephron-sparing surgery: elective versus imperative indications

INTRODUCTION: The increase in the detection of renal tumors incidentally in earlier stages has enhanced the enthusiasm for nephron-sparing surgery (NSS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed NSS in 76 patients (53 male, 23 female) with a mean age 52.3 between December 1988 and September 2001. Patients were sub-classified into 2 groups as elective or imperative indication group. They were compared regarding surgical technique, time of surgery, pathological analysis, complications, and disease free status. RESULTS: Elective indication group (group I) with a normal contralateral kidney consisted of 50 patients, whereas there were 26 patients in the imperative indication group (group II). Tumors were incidentally detected in 63%; 74% in group I and 42% in group II. Although the mean diameter of the tumor was slightly higher in group II (39.1 vs. 36.3 mm), this difference did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05). The partial nephrectomy was performed more frequently compared to enucleation in group I (90 vs. 69%, p = 0.050). However, the mean operation time as well as the mean clamping time did not differ significantly between the two groups (p > 0.05). In the histological evaluation tumors were benign in 16 (21%) and malignant in 60 patients. All of the patients but one with renal cell carcinoma had stage T1-T2 disease. Major complications were observed in 14 (18%) and 12 were from group II. Complication rate was significantly higher in group II (p = 0.000). Of 60 patients with renal cell carcinoma, 2 died of unrelated causes. One patient died with multiple visceral metastases. One patient was lost to follow-up. In the remaining 56 patients with a mean follow-up of 37.1 months (1-152), local recurrence or distant metastases were not detected. Serum creatinine levels have remained almost the same compared to preoperative levels (1.2 +/- 0.6 vs. 1.5 +/- 0.9). Overall and cancer-specific survivals were 100 and 100% in group I, 85 and 95% in group II, and 94 and 98% for the entire patient population, respectively. CONCLUSION: NSS is an effective and reliable treatment in low stage renal tumors. It prevents unnecessary nephrectomy in benign lesions that could not be diagnosed preoperatively. However, the patients who underwent NSS with elective indication outcome with better results, compared to those with imperative indication.     

Partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma using a microwave tissue coagulator--postoperative recurrence and renal function

Nowadays, partial nephrectomy is often selected for treatment of small renal cell carcinoma (RCC) because T1a RCC shows a favorable prognosis with a 5-year overall-survival rate exceeding 90%. To determine the methodological usefulness and treatment outcome of partial nephrectomy using microwave tissue coagulator (MTC), we evaluated our series of 121 patients (124 kidneys) with T1 RCC who underwent this procedure. Ninety-nine patients were elective and 22 patients were imperative cases. This procedure was indicated for asymptomatic solitary RCC; < or =4 cm in diameter in elective cases or < or =5 cm in imperative cases, expanding outward with a clear capsule, and showing neither renal pelvis nor renal sinus invasion. The median operation time was 150 minutes and the median blood loss was 217 ml. Eight patients needed transfusion, and conservative therapy cured 4 patients of postoperative urine leakage successfully. Three patients underwent early secondary nephrectomy due to multiple RCCs, invasive spindle cell carcinoma, or prolongation of urine leakage. No significant deterioration of renal function by creatinine clearance (Ccr) was observed, and postoperative Ccr could be precisely predicted from preoperative serum creatinine value and the renal parenchymal volume estimated with 3-dimensinal image reconstruction. Five-year overall-survival rate was 91% at the mean follow-up of up to 37.9 months and 107 patients were alive without disease. One patient showed local recurrence 2 years later and underwent radical nephrectomy. We believe that non-ischemic partial nephrectmy using MTC is a simple and reliable nephron-sparing surgery for small RCC in respect of postoperative recurrence and preservation of renal function.     

乳头状肾癌的诊治（附32例报告及文献复习）

目的：提高乳头状。肾癌的诊治水平。方法：回顾性分析32例乳头状肾癌患者的临床资料。28例行开放性根治性肾切除术,3例行后腹腔镜下根治性肾切除术,1例行后腹腔镜下肾部分切除。结果：术后病理均为乳头状肾癌。采用2002年AJCC肾癌TNM病理分期：pT1oNoMo4例,pT1bNoMo14例,pT2oNoMo10例,pT2bNoMo1例,pTzbN·Mo1例,pT3oNoMo2例,病理分级：G121例,G210例,G31例。28例获16～30个月随访,平均20个月,2例死于心脏病,3例死于脑血管意外,1例局部复发,22例无瘤生存。结论：乳头状肾癌是一种具有特殊形态和表现的少见肾癌类型,部分。肾切除及根治性肾切除术是治疗乳头状。肾癌的首选方法,与其他类型肾细胞癌相比,乳头状肾癌预后较好。     

Partial elective nephrectomy

IntroductionPartial nephrectomy is widely accepted as a therapeutic modality in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in patients with single kidney, bilateral tumor or deteriorated renal function. Currently, long-term survival studies have consolidated partial nephrectomy as the treatment of choice for RCC in selected patients with normal contralateral kidney.Material and methodsBetween July 1990 and January 2008, a total of 102 partial nephrectomy were performed on 100 patients with pre-operative ultrasonography diagnosis of renal carcinoma in 94 cases and complex renal cysts in 6 cases. The pre-operative ultrasonography size varied from 1.5 to 10 cm with an average of 4.85 cm.ResultsTumor size was correlated with the pathological stage, finding tumors in stage pT1 with sizes less than and greater than 4 cm in 74% and 64%, respectively, and in stage pT2 of 3.7% and 5.4%. Tumor size measured by pre-operative CT scan was compared with the definitive size of the pathology specimen in 93 cases (56 < 4 cm and 37 > 4 cm, according to the CT scan). We found high concordance, however in the larger tumors, there was a tendency of the CT scan to overestimate the size. A post-operative gamma scintigraphy with DMSA was performed in 40 patients. The values in the tumors < 4 cm (21 patients) were 12-77% (average 43.3%). In tumors between 4 and 7 cm (17 patients), the values were 13.8-53.3% (average 37.6%) and in 2 cases of tumors > 7 cm the post-operative DMSA showed 47.5 and 51%.ConclusionsPartial nephrectomy is currently accepted as elective treatment in incidental kidney tumors less than 4 cm and it is indicated increasingly more frequently in larger tumors and of central localization. The finding of benign pathology in the anatomic-pathology specimen in up to 20% of the incidental renal tumors and low potential of malignancy of the possible satellite lesions in the remnant kidney also support nephron-spearing surgery in these tumors.     

Der bilaterale Nierentumor Therapiemanagement und histopathologische Ergebnisse mit Langzeitverlauf bei 66 Patienten

Bilateral renal cell carcinoma is detected at an incidence rate of 1.6-6% of all renal tumors. The management, histopathological results and the long-term follow-up of 66 patients with bilateral renal cell carcinoma (29 synchronous, 37 asynchronous tumors) are presented in this issue. The incidence rate of bilateral renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at our hospital was 3.5%. Nephron-sparing surgery should be used first for the smaller and favourably located tumor when radical nephrectomy of the contralateral tumor is necessary. Thus, the patients can be spared dialysis. The histopathological results showed a significantly higher incidence rate of chromophil RCCs in cases of synchronous bilateral renal tumors (36%). The 5-year survival rate was 82%. Patients with asynchronous renal cell carcinomas were significantly younger than those with synchronous RCCs (median age: 60.2 years). The histopathological results were similar to unilateral renal cell carcinomas. Clear cell carcinoma was detected in 70% of cases. The 5-year survival rate was 61% and lower than that of synchronous tumors (82%). There was no significant difference because of the small number of cases. Current standardised techniques of nephron-sparing surgery achieve good survival rates, therefore making bilateral nephrectomy only necessary in very poor cases. In cases of chromophil renal cell carcinomas, the contralateral kidney should always be carefully examined, because these tumors were significantly more often detected to be bilateral. The risk of also developing a tumor in the contralateral kidney increases with decreasing age at first manifestation (< 55 years, 6%). Especially in those younger than 55 years, partial nephrectomy seems to be recommended for unilateral renal tumors in patients with a normal contralateral kidney (tumor size < 4 cm in diameter).