The current management of renal cell carcinoma

Although the broad use of ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) has led to an early diagnosis of the disease, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains one of the most lethal urological cancers. The present review is based on the latest data published on RCC management.

A literature search was carried out searching recent publications from PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase up to December 2016 as well as European Association of Urology (EAU) and European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) guidelines.

A narrative synthesis based on recent publications was undertaken. Current evidence regarding treatment strategies and guidelines is based on prospective randomized controlled trials and retrospective studies although the level of evidence for surgical management is generally lower than for systemic therapy.

This narrative review depicts a summary of the evidence base for treatment of RCC. Management of RCC is a rapidly evolving and changing field. As a consequence guidelines need regular updating and patients may benefit from centralization of care and multidisciplinary approach.