Surgical management of metastatic renal cell carcinoma

Renal cell carcinomas (RCC) are endowed with impressive metastatic potential. Patients with RCC who present with apparently solitary metastatic lesions represent a small cohort. Due to the different long-term results achieved with surgical resection of metastatic RCC lesions, a generally accepted judgement about this treatment modality is not possible. Several studies suggest that aggressive surgical management can provide an effective treatment, especially in patients with solitary pulmonary metastases. Most noteworthy is the fact that because of the organ distribution of RCC metastases, surgical therapy is dominated by general and thoracic surgeons, neurosurgeons, and orthopaedic surgeons. Therefore, an interdisciplinary approach is one of the most important key points for a successful outcome in these patients.