PARTIAL NEPHRECTOMY FOR INCIDENTAL RENAL-CELL CARCINOMA

Objective To evaluate the role of nephron-sparing surgery in patients with incidental renal cell carcinoma and a normal contralateral kidney. Patients and methods A total of 230 patients underwent curative surgery for unilateral renal cancer between 1979 and 1991. Of these, 41 had a partial nephrectomy. The numbers of patients who underwent partial or radical nephrectomy over the course of the study are compared. Results The number of partial compared to total nephrectomies increased from 8% in 1979-84, to 20% in 1984-88 and 30% in 1989-91. This reflected increased detection of incidental renal tumours by radiological imaging. The local recurrence rate in those patients who underwent partial nephrectomy was 2% and survival was 95%, with an average follow-up of 3 years (range, 2-13). Conclusion Nephron-sparing excision of small, incidental renal tumours achieved comparable early results to radical nephrectomy.