[Interventional oncology in urology]

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Oncology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Context:

• Increasing incidence and improved detection of small renal cell carcinomas.
• Surgical resection (radical/partial nephrectomy) is the gold standard, often performed laparoscopically.
• Need for alternative treatments for patients unfit for surgery.

Purpose:

• To review the efficacy and safety of thermal ablation techniques for renal cell carcinoma.
• To highlight radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as a primary thermal ablation method.
• To compare RFA with other treatments and assess its clinical outcomes.

Summary:

• Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is effective for renal lesions 2-5 cm in diameter.
• Percutaneous RFA, guided by imaging, is safe with a low complication rate.
• Preliminary data suggest RFA may be superior to other thermal ablation techniques, with over 90% clinical success and low local relapse rates.

Impact:

• RFA provides a viable, minimally invasive treatment for select renal cell carcinoma patients.
• Offers a safe alternative for patients who cannot undergo or refuse surgical resection.
• Promising results indicate RFA's potential to become a standard treatment option.