Computerized tomography in the early postoperative management of renal cell carcinoma

Computerized tomography of the abdomen was used to detect local and intra-abdominal recurrence of renal cell carcinoma within 2 years in 22 patients with stage I, II or IIIA disease at the time of initial radical nephrectomy with regional lymphadenectomy. Six patients had recurrences initially limited to the abdomen and retroperitoneum. Therapeutic procedures, including surgical excision of recurrent tumor in 2 patients, did not alter the progression of the disease. Computerized tomography provides earlier detection of local recurrence of renal cell carcinoma but current therapy offers limited benefit when a recurrence is detected.