Treatment of small renal tumors with ablative techniques

Abstract

Small renal tumor is a radiologically detected renal mass up to four cm in diameter. Surgery is the main therapeutic option in the treatment of these tumors, but in elderly and comorbid patients ablative techniques are the alternative. The aim of this paper is to report our experience in the treatment of small renal tumors with ablative techniques. We retrospectively analyzed patient records of individuals treated with radiofrequency and microwave ablation at the University hospital center Zagreb in the period from January 2017 to August 2019. An appropriate radiological and preoperative work-up was performed for all subjects, and then tumor biopsy and ablation. Patients were followed using the standard follow-up schedule: three, six, and 12 months after the procedure, and then annually, using radiological methods. Ablation of 32 small renal tumors was performed for 31 patients, 27 of which were radiofrequency and seven microwave ablations. One-year overall and cancer specific survival was 100%. In 12.9% of patients a residual mass was diagnosed – three were retreated with ablation and one underwent radical nephrectomy. We had four ClavienDindo grade 2 complications. Ablative techniques are an oncologically effective and safe treatment option for patients that are unfit for surgery.

Keywords

• kidney neoplasms – diagnosis
• pathology
• surgery; carcinom
• renal cell - diagnosis