Indications for and results of nephrectomy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma

We find that, when metastases are present, a nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma is not justified in the vast majority of cases. The only noncontroversial indication is for palliative nephrectomy which is performed to relieve intractable symptoms in the properly chosen patient. However, it is unusual to see a patient with tumor-related symptoms that cannot be conservatively managed. A relative indication for nephrectomy is found in the patient with osseous metastases only, as some studies have demonstrated a prolongation of survival by adjunctive nephrectomy in this setting. Another relative indication is in the patient with limited metastases that are amenable to surgical or radiation ablation coupled with nephrectomy; patients in whom the metastasis appears years after the nephrectomy have the best chance for a successful outcome. When therapy that is effective against metastatic tumor is eventually found, adjunctive nephrectomy as a debulking procedure may become indicated; until then, surgery is not justified. On the basis of data presently available, adjunctive nephrectomy in the hope of inducing spontaneous regression of metastases is never indicated.