[Role of partial nephrectomy in the treatment of kidney cancer]

Incidental finding of small renal carcinoma by radiologic exams (ultrasound, computed tomography, MRI) performed for non urological purposes raises therapeutic and management problems (therapeutic abstinence and surveillance, partial or radical nephrectomy). Radical nephrectomy is recognized as a curative treatment for renal cell carcinoma. However, partial nephrectomy was suggested for renal cell carcinoma of solitary functional kidney or bilateral tumors in order to avoid dialysis or renal transplantation. The debate remains open for the small renal carcinomas with a normal controlateral kidney. Is partial nephrectomy an adequate treatment or rather perform radical nephrectomy? The present study was performed to analyse the published literature on the subject.