[Recent advances in nephron-sparing surgery for renal cell carcinoma]

Although radical nephrectomy is a "standard" surgery for management of renal cell carcinoma, nephron-sparing surgery has become accepted for selected patients: those with solitary kidney, bilateral renal cell carcinoma or small renal cell carcinoma. Recently laparoscopic surgery has gradually come to include nephron-sparing surgery with minimum invasiveness. Furthermore, new methodologies such as cryoablation and radiowave ablation enable percutaneous management of nephron-sparing surgery. Thus, nephron-sparing surgery is becoming less invasive. However, its efficacy in controlling cancer needs to be discussed further.