11-year survival of a renal cell cancer patient following multiple metastasectomy

A renal cell cancer patient with late onset of multiorgan metastases showed an unusually long survival following surgical resection. Femoral metastasis appeared 11 years, and contra lateral kidney and adrenal gland metastasis 19 years after the primary nephrectomy, respectively. Following the resection of the femur and implantation of endoprosthesis and removal of adrenal gland and partial nephrectomy, the patient was disease-free 20 years after the first diagnosis of cancer.

The long survival and successful treatment underline the importance and efficiency of radical metastasectomy even in the case of late onset multiorgan metastases of renal cell cancer. The life expectancies are better in the late onset of bone metastasis following the nephrectomy. The very late onset of metastases in this case shows however the importance of lifelong follow up.