Localized chromophobe carcinomas treated by nephron-sparing surgery have excellent oncologic outcomes

To evaluate the oncologic outcomes of nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) for localized chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (cRCC).

We performed a multicenter international study involving the French Network for Research on Kidney Cancer (UroCCR) and 5 international teams. Data from 808 patients treated with NSS between 2004 and 2014 for non-clear cell RCCs were analyzed.

We included 234 patients with cRCC. There were 123 (52.6%) females. Median age was 61 (23-88) years. Median tumor size was 3 (1-11)cm. A positive surgical margin was identified in 14 specimens (6%). Pathologic stages were T1, T2, and T3a in 202 (86.3%), 9 (3.8%), and 23 (9.8%) cases, respectively. After a mean follow-up of 46.6 ± 36 months, 2 (0.8%) patients experienced a local recurrence. No patient had metastatic progression, and no patient died from cancer. Three-years estimated cancer-free survival and cancer-specific survival were 99.1% and 100%, respectively.

Oncological results of NSS for localized cRCC are excellent. In this series, only 2 patients had a local recurrence, and no patient had metastatic progression or died from cancer.