Pre–Operative Assessment
Surgical techniques
Follow-up
Surgery for metastatic RCC
Alternative minimally invasive techniques

Management and Treatment

Treatment Options

Surgery 

Surgery plays a major role in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and continues to be the only curative therapeutic option. The 5-year survival rate for patients with early-stage RCC for whom surgery may be curative is approximately 88–100%. However, 5-year survival rates are 20% or less for patients who present with metastatic disease. With the majority of patients now diagnosed after incidental detection of a renal mass, there has been a move towards surgical techniques more appropriate for the excision of small tumours and preservation of kidney function. Furthermore a significant proportion of resected tumours today turn out to be of benign histology and the option of active surveillance should be discussed with every patient diagnosed with a renal mass smaller than 2 cm.

This information has been provided with the kind permission of Steffen Weikert and Kurt Miller