Local recurrence after tumour enucleation for renal cell carcinoma with no ablation of the tumour bed: results of a prospective single-centre study.

Abstract

• To prospectively evaluate the risk of positive surgical margins and local recurrence after blunt tumour enucleation (TE) with no ablation of the tumour bed. • Between 2005 and 2007, data were gathered prospectively from 201 consecutive patients who had open TE with no ablation of the tumour bed. • Overall, 164 consecutive patients had TE for single sporadic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). • All patients had an abdominal computed tomography (CT) at the last follow-up visit. • The pathological review showed that 70.2% of tumours were pT1a, 18.9% were pT1b, 1.8% were pT2 and 9.1% were pT3a. • The mean (range, interquartile range) tumour greatest dimension was 3.5 (0.5-12.5, 2.4-4.1) cm. • Although no deliberate attempt to resect normal parenchyma was performed, the pathological analysis showed the presence of a thin layer of parenchyma with a mean (range) thickness of 0.97 (0.31-1.60) mm, around the tumour. None of the patients had positive surgical margins. • At a mean (median, range) follow up of 40 (38, 25-62) months, three (1.8%) patients had local recurrence, of whom one (0.6%) had a true local recurrence at the enucleation site detected 35 months after surgery, while two had kidney recurrence elsewhere associated with concurrent systemic metastases diagnosed 16 and 13 months after surgery. • TE with no ablation of the tumour bed is a safe technique with a local recurrence rate of 0.6%. • The histopathological analysis showed the presence of a minimal tumour-free surgical margin, although no deliberate attempt to resect normal parenchyma is performed.