Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy in younger versus older adults with renal cell carcinoma: a propensity score-matched analysis

Purpose Our study aimed to compare the surgical outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) between younger and older patients after adjusting for their background differences. We particularly assessed RAPN outcomes and safety in older patients. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 559 patients clinically diagnosed with T1 renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and treated with RAPN between 2013 and 2022 at five institutions in Japan. The patients were classified into two groups according to their age during surgery (younger group: < 75 years, older group: >= 75 years). Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to adjust for the differences in the backgrounds between younger and older patients, and surgical outcomes were compared. Results Among the 559 patients, 422 (75.5%) and 137 (24.5%) were classified into the younger and older groups, respectively; 204 and 102 patients from the younger and older groups were matched according to PSM, respectively. Subsequently, patient characteristics other than age were not significantly different between the two groups. In the matched cohort, the older group had more patients with major complications (younger, 3.0%; older, 8.8%; P = 0.045). Conclusion Surgical outcomes of RAPN in older patients with RCC were comparable with those in younger patients, although older patients experiencedsignificantly more complications than younger patients. These results suggest the need for further detailed preoperative evaluation and appropriate postoperative management in older patients receiving RAPN.