[Status of organ preserving surgery in renal cell carcinoma]

Nephron-sparing surgery in renal cell carcinoma is an accepted approach in patients with bilateral carcinomas, solitary kidneys and in patients with chronic renal failure in whom radical nephrectomy would necessitate immediate renal replacement therapy (mandatory indications). Because of the improvement of operative techniques-like renal perfusion in hypothermia or work-bench surgery-over 95% of patients can spared dialysis even if multiple tumors or locally advanced renal cancer is present. Based on the excellent outcome of nephron-sparing surgery in mandatory indications (5-year survival rates over 80%), several centers advocate extending the use of partial nephrectomy to selected patients with a normal opposite kidney (elective indications). Several reports on nephron-sparing surgery in elective indications with a median follow-up time of 40 months document similar survival rates compared to radical nephrectomy. Nevertheless, due to the low incidence of bilateral renal carcinomas (under 2%), only 2 of 100 patients would benefit from this approach. Furthermore, local recurrence after nephron-sparing surgery occurs mostly after 4 years (late recurrence); therefore, it seems doubtful whether the short follow-up times really reveal the the true recurrence rate. The prognosis after development of a local recurrence is poor.