Onco-nephrology - an approach to patients treatment

Onco-nephrology is a new, multidisciplinary field, which connects the fields of oncology and nephrology. The number of cancer patients with various stages of kidney disease has been increasing. The goal of the holistic management of onco-nephrologic patient is to increase efficacy and safety of treatment. Since patients with renal impairment have been excluded from prospective randomized trials, for these patients there is no available data with high level of evidence about efficacy and safety of treatment and the limit values of biomarkers, which help to guide the treatment. In clinical practice, the management of onco-nephrologic patient is based on clinical experience, data from retrospective analyses and case reports, and recommendations supported by the expert consensus. Close cooperation between an oncologist and nephrologist is crucial and a multidisciplinary consultation is often needed.The physician who is responsible for the treatment plan needs to have a basic knowledge of nephrology and a good knowledge of limitations of oncologic treatment. Due to an increasing number of onco-nephrologic patients and new anti- cancer treatment options, an onco-nephrology outpatient clinic started to operate at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana ten years ago. A medical council has been established for more complex patients who need additional multidisciplinary care. Every year, The Working Group on Onco-Nephrology of the Section of Medical Oncology organize the Onco-nephrology school, where the views from various experts on a certain clinical problem are presented. One of the priorities of onco-nephrology is research. The paper describes the important topics in the field of onco-nephrology together with challenges from the clinical practice.