[Conservative surgery of parenchymal renal carcinoma: urologic data from Lombardy]

We report the results of a questionnaire sent to various Urology departments in Lombardy about "Conservative Surgery in Renal Cell Carcinoma" which was the subject of discussion at the 50th meeting of the Lombardian Society of Urologist. 23 centres out of 34 i.e. 68% answered. 100% of the departments performed nephron sparing surgery, 91% in cases of imperative and elective indication and 9% only in imperative indication. 100% of the patients underwent preoperative staging with ultrasound and computer tomography. 48% treated in elective surgery only incidentally asintomatic discovered tumours, but 52% treated both incidentally and sintomatic ones. Elective surgery is suggested when the tumor has a diameter less than or up to 3 cm., from 3 to 5 cm., and more than 5 cm. in 48%, 48% and 4% of the urological departments respectively. 70% consider the importance of tumor location and do not perform partial nephrectomy when the tumor is intraparenchymal or in contact with the secretory tract. From a technical point of view 82% carried out partial nephrectomies while 18% carried out enucleation; 57% performed routinally frozen section on tumor bed and 61% do not performed lymphadenectomy. 83% believe in the multifocality problem. A macroscopic and microscopic haematuria does not condition the elective indication in 62% of the urology departments. The follow-up is carried out with ultrasonography alternated with CT in 78% of the departments and is continued for over 5 years in a likewise 52%. From 1990 to 1995, 3332 patients were surgically treated for renal cell carcinoma in 23 urology departments; 487 (14.6%) underwent nephron sparing surgery; 320 elective and 167 imperative indication. The local global relapse was 2.9% (14/487); 5.3% (9/167) in imperative group and 1.4% (5/320) in elective group. Conservative surgery in Lombardy will always try to have the golden standard treatment in the incidental, single renal cell carcinoma.