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Purpose: In absence of predictive models, preoperative estimation of the probability of completing partial (PN) relative to radical nephrectomy (RN) is invariably inaccurate and subjective. We aimed to develop an evidence-based model to assess objectively the probability of PN completion based on patients' characteristics, tumor's complexity, urologist expertise and surgical approach., Design, Setting and Participants: 675 patients treated with PN or RN for cT 1-2 cN 0 cM 0 renal mass by seven surgeons at one single experienced centre from 2000 to 2019., Outcomes Measurements and Statistical Analyses: The outcome of the study was PN completion. We used a multivariable logistic regression (MVA) model to investigate predictors of PN completion. We used SPARE score to assess tumor complexity. We used a bootstrap validation to compute the model's predictive accuracy. We investigated the relationship between the outcomes and specific predictors of interest such as tumor's complexity, approach and experience., Results: Of 675 patients, 360 (53%) were treated with PN vs. 315 (47%) with RN. Smaller tumors [Odds ratio (OR): 0.52, 95%CI 0.44-0.61; P < 0.001], lower SPARE score (OR: 0.67, 95%CI 0.47-0.94; P = 0.02), more experienced surgeons (OR: 1.01, 95%CI 1.00-1.02; P < 0.01), robotic (OR: 10; P < 0.001) and open (OR: 36; P < 0.001) compared to laparoscopic approach resulted associated with higher probability of PN completion. Predictive accuracy of the model was 0.94 (95% CI 0.93-0.95)., Conclusions: The probability of PN completion can be preoperatively assessed, with optimal accuracy relaying on routinely available clinical information. The proposed model might be useful in preoperative decision-making, patient consensus, or during preoperative counselling., Patient Summary: In patients with a renal mass the probability of completing a partial nephrectomy varies considerably and without a predictive model is invariably inaccurate and subjective. In this study we build-up a risk calculator based on easily available preoperative variables that can predict with optimal accuracy the probability of not removing the entire kidney., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest A. Necchi reports honoraria from Roche, Merck Sharp & Dohme, AstraZeneca, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Foundation Medicine; has served as a consultant or advisor for Merck Sharp & Dohme, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Rainier Therapeutics, Roche, Bayer, AstraZeneca, Clovis Oncology, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Incyte, Seattle Genetics, Astellas Pharma and Rainier Therapeutics; has received research funding from Incyte, Merck Sharp & Dohme (institution), and AstraZeneca (institution); and has received travel funding from Roche, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Astra Zeneca, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals outside the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Up to 15% of patients with locally advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) harbors tumor thrombus (TT). In those cases, radical nephrectomy (RN) and thrombectomy represents the standard of care. We assessed the impact of TT on long-term functional and oncological outcomes in a large contemporary cohort., Methods: Within a prospective maintained database, 1207 patients undergoing RN for non-metastatic RCC between 2000 and 2021 at a single tertiary centre were identified. Of these, 172 (14%) harbored TT. Multivariable logistic regression analyses evaluated the impact of TT on the risk of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI). Multivariable Poisson regression analyses estimated the risk of long-term chronic kidney disease (CKD). Kaplan Meier plots estimated disease-free survival and cancer specific survival. Multivariable Cox regression models assessed the main predictors of clinical progression (CP) and cancer specific mortality (CSM)., Results: Patients with TT showed lower BMI (24 vs. 26 kg/m 2 ) and preoperative Hb (11 vs. 14 g/mL; all-p < 0.05). Clinical tumor size was higher in patients with TT (9.6 vs. 6.5 cm; p < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, the presence of TT was significantly associated with a higher risk of postoperative AKI (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.49-3.6; p < 0.001) and long-term CKD (OR: 1.32, 95% CI 1.10-1.58; p < 0.01). Notably, patients with TT showed worse long-term oncological outcomes and TT was a predictor for CP (2.02, CI 95% 1.49-2.73, p < 0.001) and CSM (HR 1.61, CI 95% 1.04-2.49, p < 0.03)., Conclusions: The presence of TT in RCC patients represents a key risk factor for worse perioperative, as well as long-term renal function. Specifically, patients with TT harbor a significant and early estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decrease. However, despite TT patients show a greater eGFR decline after surgery, they retain acceptable renal function, which remains stable over time., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: The role of non-tumour renal biopsy in predicting renal function after surgery for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is poorly investigated. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of renal parenchymal histology on renal function after radical nephrectomy in a cohort of patients with RCC., Methods: This cohort study included 171 patients with RCC submitted to radical nephrectomy between 2006 and 2018. Two biopsy samples from normal parenchyma were collected at nephrectomy and renal parenchyma damage (RPD) was scored on histologic samples according to validated methodology. The outcomes were eGFR after surgery and its reduction > 25% relative to baseline at maximum 12 months' follow-up. Linear and logistic multivariable regression were used, adjusting for age at surgery, presence of hypertension, diabetes, clinical tumour size, time from surgery and basal eGFR., Results: 171 patients were enrolled and RPD was demonstrated in 64 (37%). Patients with RPD had more comorbidities (CCI > 2 in 25 vs. 9%, p < 0.001), in particular hypertension (70 vs. 53%; p = 0.03), diabetes with (5% vs. 0%, p = 0.007) or without (31 vs. 18%; p = 0.007) organ damage, cerebrovascular disease (19 vs. 5%; p = 0.006) and nephropathy (20 vs. 3%; p = 0.0004). At multivariable analyses, RPD was associated with lower eGFR (Est. - 5.48; 95% CI - 9.27: - 1.7; p = 0.005) and with clinically significant reduction of eGFR after surgery (OR 3.06; 95% CI 1.17: 8.49; p = 0.026)., Conclusions: Presence of RPD in non-tumour renal tissue is an independent predictor of functional impairment in patients with RCC. Such preliminary finding supports the use of parenchyma biopsy during clinical decision making., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Ischemia time during partial nephrectomy (PN) is among the greatest determinants of acute kidney injury (AKI). Whether this association is affected by the preoperative risk of AKI has never been investigated., Objective: To assess the effect of the interaction between the preoperative risk of AKI and ischemia time on the probability of AKI during PN., Design, Setting, and Participants: Data of 944 patients treated with on-clamp PN for cT1 renal tumors were extracted from the Registry of Conservative and Radical Surgery for Cortical Renal Tumor Disease (RECORD2) database, a prospective multicenter project., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: We estimated the preoperative risk of AKI (defined according to the risk/injury/failure/loss/end-stage [RIFLE] criteria) according to age, baseline renal function, clinical stage, preoperative aspects and dimensions used for an anatomical (PADUA) score, and surgical approach. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis identified patients at "high" and "low" risk of AKI. Finally, we plotted the probability of AKI over ischemia time stratified by the preoperative risk of AKI., Results and Limitations: Overall, 235 (25%) patients experienced AKI after surgery. At multivariable analysis, older patients, those with more complex tumors, those with higher baseline function, and those treated with open surgery had an increased risk of AKI (all p ≤ 0.011). According to the first split at CART analysis, patients were categorized as those with "high" and "low" risk of AKI having a probability of >40% or <40%. For low-risk patients, the probability of AKI in case of <10 versus >20 min of ischemia was 13% versus 28% (absolute risk increase 15%). The risk of AKI for high-risk patients who had <10 versus >20 min of ischemia was 31% versus 77%. This corresponds to an absolute risk increase of 45%. Limitations include retrospective data analyses and lack of surgeons' prior experience., Conclusions: Ischemia time during PN has different implications for patients with different health status. Clamp time seems less clinically relevant for patients in good conditions who may endure prolonged ischemia with a mild increase in the risk of AKI, whereas frail patients seem to be more vulnerable to ischemic damage even for short clamp time. For individualized intra- and postoperative management, duration of ischemia needs to be questioned in the context of the individual health status., Patient Summary: Functional sequelae related to ischemia time during partial nephrectomy depend on baseline health status. The correlation between the duration of ischemia and baseline health status should be taken into account toward individualized intra- and postoperative management., (Copyright © 2020 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The current literature regarding the effect of blood loss (eBL) after nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) on long-term renal function is scarce. We tested the effect of eBL on the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) after NSS., Methods: Within an institutional prospectively maintained database, we identified 215 patients treated with NSS for cT 1 N 0 M 0 renal mass at one European high-volume center. Multivariable logistic regression models tested the effect of eBL on the risk of developing CKD, after accounting for surgical complexity, individual clinical characteristics, and surgical experience. Multivariable linear regression models identified predictors of eBL., Results: After a median follow-up of 36 months, 55 (25.6%) patients experienced CKD after surgery. At multivariable analyses, eBL independently predicted higher risk of CKD after NSS (odds ratio [OR]: 1.16; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.04-1.30; p < 0.01). Specifically, the relationship between eBL and probability of CKD emerged as nonlinear, with a plateau from 0 to 500 mL of eBL and an increase afterward. When multivariable linear regression analyses investigated predictors of eBL, hypertension (Est: 127, 95% CI 12-242; p = 0.03), clinical size (Est: 47, 95% CI 7-87; p = 0.02), and PADUA score (Est: 42; 95% CI 4-80 p = 0.03) achieved independent predictor status for higher intraoperative eBL. Conversely, surgical experience was associated with lower eBL (p = 0.01)., Conclusions: Intraoperative bleeding is independently associated with the risk of developing CKD after surgery, even after adjustment for well-known predictors of renal failure and tumor complexity. Hence, strategies aimed at maximally reducing such adverse events deserve special consideration., (© 2020. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

We hypothesized that pT3a stage at nephrectomy can be accurately predicted in cT1N0M0 clear cell-renal cell carcinoma (cc-RCC) patients. Of 236 patients, treated with either partial or radical nephrectomy (2005-2019), 25 (10.6%) harbored pT3a stage. Multivariable logistic regression models predicting pT3a were fitted using age, tumor size, tumor location and exophytic rate. The new model was 81% accurate. In calibration plots, minimal departures from ideal prediction were recorded. In decision curve analyses, a net-benefit throughout all threshold probabilities was recorded relative to the treat-all or treat-none strategies. Using a probability cut-off of 21% for presence of pT3a stage, 38 patients (16.1%) were identified, in whom pT3a rate was 36.8%. Conversely, in 198 patients (83.9%) below that cut-off, the rate of pT3a was 5.6%. Alternative user-defined cut-offs may be selected. The new model more accurately identifies a subgroup of cT1N0M0 cc-RCC patients with substantially higher risk of pT3a stage than average., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Background: Partial nephrectomy (PN) has a non-negligible perioperative morbidity. Comparative evidence of the available surgical techniques is limited., Objective: To compare the perioperative outcomes of open, laparoscopic, and robotic PN., Methods: Data of 2331 patients treated with PN for cT1 renal tumors were extracted from the RECORd2 database, a prospective multicenter project. Multivariable regression models assessed the relationship between surgical technique and surgical margins, warm ischemia time, postoperative complications, and acute kidney injury (AKI). The probability of achieving a modified trifecta (negative margins, warm ischemia time <25min, and no Clavien-Dindo ≥2 complications) was examined for each surgical approach., Results: Minimally invasive techniques had lower rate of Clavien-Dindo ≥2 complications than that of open surgery (odds ratio [OR] for robotic surgery: 0.27; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.15-0.47, p< 0.0001; OR for laparoscopy: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.34-0.78; p= 0.002). The probability of receiving ischemia was highest for robotic PN (p< 0.001). Among on-clamp PN, laparoscopy had longer ischemia than open (estimate: 1.09; 95% CI: -0.00 to 2.18; p= 0.050) and robotic (estimate: 1.36; 95% CI: 0.31-2.40; p= 0.011) surgery. When compared with open PN, the risk of AKI was roughly halved for patients treated by robotic and laparoscopic surgery (both p< 0.0001). Positive margins rate did not differ between the groups (all p≥ 0.1). The likelihood to achieve a modified trifecta was not affected by surgical technique in the overall population (all p≥ 0.075). In Preoperative Aspects and Dimensions Used for an Anatomical (PADUA) score < 10 lesions, robotic surgery had higher probability of achieving a modified trifecta than open PN (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.09-2.53; p= 0.018) and laparoscopy (OR: 1.34; 95% CI: 0.94-1.90; p= 0.11)., Conclusions: In PADUA<10 renal tumors, robotic PN allows for higher rates of trifecta than open and laparoscopic surgeries. The impact of surgical technique on perioperative outcomes of PN might be limited in more complex lesions., Patient Summary: We evaluated the association between surgical technique and perioperative outcomes of partial nephrectomy. In less complex (Preoperative Aspects and Dimensions Used for an Anatomical [PADUA] score < 10) lesions, robotic PN allows for higher rates of trifecta when compared with other surgical techniques., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The role of cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) is unclear. To define the proportion of symptomatic mRCC, to investigate the impact of CN on symptomatic improvement and perioperative morbidity, and to elucidate the trade-off between such benefit and harm, an observational study of 317 mRCC patients treated with CN was performed. Symptomatic mRCC was defined as the presence of any sign or symptom causally related to the disease. Sign or symptom resolution and improvement were defined as the absence of all the signs and symptoms recorded at baseline, and the absence of at least one sign or symptom recorded at baseline, respectively. Perioperative morbidity was assessed using the Clavien-Dindo classification. Response to CN was classified as beneficial, mixed, or harmful according to the trade-off between symptomatic improvement and perioperative morbidity. The proportions of local, metastasis-specific, and general signs or symptoms were 37%, 23%, and 27%, respectively. The proportions of any sign or symptom resolution and improvement after CN were 43% and 71%, respectively. The proportions of local sign or symptom resolution and improvement after CN were 91% and 95%, respectively. The risks of any complication and major complication were 37% and 10%, respectively. At regression analysis, symptomatic status was not associated with perioperative morbidity. The proportion of beneficial response was invariably higher than the proportion of harmful response. At mRCC diagnosis, two out of three patients suffer from any sign or symptom, and one out of three suffers from local signs or symptoms. CN has a positive impact on symptomatic status. PATIENT SUMMARY: Most metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients are symptomatic, and they should be aware that cytoreductive nephrectomy has a positive impact on symptomatic status., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objectives: To compare long-term functional outcomes of off-clamp or on-clamp partial nephrectomy patients of two high-volume centers with cT1-2/N0 M0 renal tumors and baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate >60 mL/min., Methods: A 3:1 propensity score-matched analysis was used to select two homogeneous cohorts to compare off-clamp versus on-clamp partial nephrectomy. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to compare the 2-8-year probabilities of estimated glomerular filtration rate modifications in both selected cohorts. The Kaplan-Meier method assessed the risk of developing a stage ≥3b chronic kidney disease during follow up. Multivariable analyses aimed to identify predictors of renal function deterioration. Perioperative complications and oncological outcomes were compared., Results: Overall, 1073 patients were included (588 on-clamp and 485 off-clamp). After applying the propensity score-matched analysis, the two cohorts of 157 on-clamp and 472 off-clamp patients did not differ for all covariates, except for warm ischemia time and last estimated glomerular filtration rate. At joinpoint analysis, the off-clamp group showed higher probabilities of maintaining an unmodified estimated glomerular filtration rate (P = 0.02). The probability of developing a stage ≥3b chronic kidney disease was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the on-clamp cohort. At multivariable analysis, estimated glomerular filtration rate at discharge and off-clamp approach were independent predictors of improved functional outcomes. Perioperative complications were comparable among the two cohorts (P = 0.67). There were not any statistically significant differences in terms of cancer-specific survival (P = 0.26) and overall survival (P = 0.18)., Conclusions: Off-clamp partial nephrectomy seems to offer a higher probability of maintaining 100% estimated glomerular filtration rate after surgery. In our cohort, patients undergoing on-clamp partial nephrectomy presented a 7.3-fold increased risk of developing a severe chronic kidney disease during follow up., (© 2019 The Japanese Urological Association.)

Objectives: To investigate whether postoperative complications affect long-term functional outcomes of renal patients treated with nephron-sparing surgery (NSS)., Materials and Methods: We performed an observational study, enrolling 596 patients with preoperative normal renal function treated with NSS for clinical T1abN0M0 renal masses. Cox regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for chronic kidney disease (CKD) including as covariates age, comorbidity (scored according to the Charlson comorbidity index), hypertension, tumour size, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 at discharge, and ischaemia time., Results: A total of 137 patients (23%) developed postoperative complications. At a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 53 (26-91) months, CKD risk was 19% for patients with postoperative complications and 11% for those without complications. Patients experiencing postoperative complications (HR 1.90, 95% CI 1.26-2.86) were at increased risk of developing CKD during the follow-up at multivariable analysis, after accounting for confounders., Conclusions: Our data outline how postoperative complications might have a detrimental impact on postoperative renal function in patients submitted to NSS. Improper patient selection, increasing the risk of postoperative complications, could limit the benefit in terms of renal function brought by NSS., (© 2019 The Authors BJU International © 2019 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To identify meaningful predictors and to develop a nomogram of postoperative surgical complications in patients treated with partial nephrectomy (PN)., Patients and Methods: We prospectively evaluated 4308 consecutive patients who had surgical treatment for renal tumours, between 2013 and 2016, at 26 Italian urological centres (RECORd 2 project). A multivariable logistic regression for surgical complications was performed. A nomogram was created from the multivariable model. Internal validation processes were performed using bootstrapping with 1000 repetitions., Results: Overall, 2584 patients who underwent PN were evaluated for the final analyses. The median (interquartile [IQR]) American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score was 2 (2-3). In all, 72.4% of patients had clinical T1a (cT1a) stage tumours. The median (IQR) Preoperative Aspects and Dimensions Used for an Anatomical (PADUA) score was 7 (6-8). Overall, 34.3%, 27.7%, 38% of patients underwent open PN (OPN), laparoscopic PN (LPN), and robot-assisted PN (RAPN). Overall and major postoperative surgical complications were recorded in 10.2% and 2.5% of patients, respectively. At multivariable analysis, age, ASA score, cT2 vs cT1a stage, PADUA score, preoperative anaemia, OPN and LPN vs RAPN, were significant predictive factors of postoperative surgical complications. We used these variables to construct a nomogram for predicting the risk of postoperative surgical complications. At decision curve analysis, the nomogram led to superior outcomes for any decision associated with a threshold probability of >5%., Conclusion: Several clinical predictors have been associated with postoperative surgical complications after PN. We used this information to develop and internally validate a nomogram to predict such risk., (© 2019 The Authors BJU International © 2019 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The role of lymph node dissection (LND) during nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is controversial. We looked at the clinical usefulness of performing LND to stratify the risk of patients with RCC and select candidates for systemic treatment after nephrectomy., Materials and Methods: We identified 730 patients with nonmetastatic RCC treated with nephrectomy and LND at a single center. We compared the accuracy and clinical usefulness of a base model including factors defining high-risk patients according to the S-TRAC trial [(pT3 and Grade≥2 and performance status score ≥1) or pT4] relative to the base model plus pN stage for the prediction of early progression after surgery., Results: LN invasion resulted the most informative predictor of early progression (odds ratio: 6.39; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.26, 12.54; P < 0.0001). The accuracy was higher (P = 0.008) for the model implemented with pN (area under the curve: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.80) as compared to the base model (area under the curve: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.68, 0.76). Performing LND to select patients for postoperative systemic treatment, resulted in a slightly higher net benefit as compared to a strategy defining risk on the base of factors other than pN. Patients with high-risk disease showed a large difference in the risk of progression according to pN-status (1-year risk: 58% [95% CI: 45, 72] for pN1; 31% [95% CI: 25, 38] for pN0; P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Performing LND at the time of nephrectomy improves risk stratification, resulting into a small but nonnegligible clinical advantage for selecting high-risk patients for further treatment after surgery. Further trials should investigate whether high-risk pN1 patients would benefit from a different postoperative management., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The hypothesis that renal function could influence oncological outcomes is supported by anecdotal literature., Objective: To determine whether estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is related to cancer-specific mortality (CSM) in patients who had undergone surgery for renal cell carcinoma (RCC)., Design, Setting, and Participants: A retrospective analysis of 3457 patients who underwent radical (39%) or partial nephrectomy (61%) for cT1-2 RCC between 1990 and 2015., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: The eGFR was calculated by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation. CSM was analyzed in a multivariable competing-risk framework, estimating the subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR) accounting for deaths from other causes. The relationship between eGFR and CSM was investigated from multiple statistical approaches-extended Cox regression with eGFR incorporated as a time-dependent covariate, landmark analysis, and joint modeling. Other predictors were selected by competing-risk random forest method and backward elimination., Results and Limitations: The relationship between eGFR and CSM was graphically described by a linear spline, i.e. a continuous piecewise linear function with two lines joined by a knot. For eGFR treated as a time-dependent covariate, the knot was located at 65ml/min; at landmark analysis with eGFR at the baseline, 12 mo, and last functional follow-up, the knots were 85, 60, and 65ml/min, respectively. In multivariable competing-risk analysis, CSM was associated with eGFR only for values of eGFR below these cutoffs, with SHRs for every 10ml/min of reduction in eGFR of 1.25 (p=0.003), 1.16 (p=0.028), 1.44 (p=0.02), and 1.16 (p=0.042), corresponding to time-dependent eGFR, and eGFR at baseline, 12 mo, and last functional follow-up, respectively. Joint modeling confirmed these results. A retrospective design with inherent biases in data collection represents a limitation., Conclusions: In patients undergoing surgery for RCC, renal function should be preserved in order to improve cancer-related survival., Patient Summary: The relationship between renal function and probability of dying due to renal cancer is complex. The present study found a correlation between glomerular filtration rate and cancer specific mortality that could reconsider the oncological role of renal function in patients undergoing surgery for renal cancer., (Copyright © 2018 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Lymph node dissection may benefit patients at increased risk for lymph node metastases from renal cell carcinoma. Therefore, we evaluated the association of lymph node dissection with survival in patients at high risk undergoing radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma., Materials and Methods: We identified 2,722 patients with M0 renal cell carcinoma who underwent radical nephrectomy with or without lymph node dissection at 2 international centers from 1990 to 2010. The associations of lymph node dissection with the development of distant metastases, and cancer specific and all cause mortality were evaluated using propensity score techniques and traditional multivariable Cox regression. Subset analyses were done to examine patients at increased risk of lymph node metastases., Results: Overall 171 patients (6.3%) had pN1 disease. Median followup was 9.6 years. Clinicopathological features were well balanced after propensity score adjustment. Lymph node dissection was not significantly associated with a reduced risk of distant metastases, or cancer specific or all cause mortality in the overall cohort, among patients with preoperative radiographic lymphadenopathy (cN1), or across an increasing probability of pN1 disease from 0.10 or greater to 0.50 or greater. Neither extended lymph node dissection nor the extent of lymph node dissection was associated with improved oncologic outcomes., Conclusions: The current analysis of a large, international cohort indicates that lymph node dissection is not associated with improved oncologic outcomes among patients at high risk who undergo radical nephrectomy for M0 renal cell carcinoma. This includes patients with radiographic lymphadenopathy (cN1) and across increasing probability thresholds of pN1 disease., (Copyright © 2018 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Radical nephrectomy (RN) and caval thrombectomy (CT) for renal cell carcinoma, with extracorporeal circulation (ECC) and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) is a challenging surgical approach., Objective: To assess peri-operative and oncologic outcomes of renal cell carcinoma patients treated with RN and CT, using ECC and DHCA., Design, Setting, and Participants: We retrospectively evaluated 46 patients who underwent RN and CT using ECC and DHCA., Surgical Procedure: After retroperitoneal nodal dissection and RN, a cardiopulmonary bypass was placed and DHCA achieved. A combined approach through the abdomen and the thorax was described., Measurements: Perioperative and long-term survival outcomes were reported., Results and Limitations: Median operative time and length of hospital stay were 545min and 22 d. Overall, 33 patients (72%) did not require any additional interventional or surgical treatment. Thirty-day and 90-d mortality were 11% (5/46) and 15% (7/46). The 1-yr, 2-yr, and 3-yr cancer specific mortality (CSM)-free survival rates were 77%, 62%, and 56%, respectively. After stratification, according to metastatic status at diagnosis, CSM-free survival rates were significantly lower for cM1 patients compared with cM0 patients (1-yr 46% vs 93%, 2-yr 23% vs 81%, 3-yr 23% vs 73%, p<0.01). Our study is limited by its retrospective and uncomparative nature., Conclusions: RN with CT using ECC and DHCA is a challenging procedure which requires a dedicated multidisciplinary working team to minimise complications and maximise patients' outcomes., Patient Summary: Patients with kidney cancer and a thrombus within the inferior vena cava, which reaches above the diaphragm, can be treated with surgery. However, this kind of surgical treatment is challenging and requires a dedicated multidisciplinary team in order to accomplish the task., (Copyright © 2017 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess whether even in the group of localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC), some patients might harbor a disease with a predilection for lymph node invasion (LNI) and/or lymph node (LN) progression and might deserve lymph node dissection (LND) at the time of surgery., Materials and Methods: Between 1990 and 2014, 2,010 patients with clinically defined T1-T2N0M0 RCC were treated with nephrectomy and standardized LND at a single tertiary care referral center. The endpoint consists of the presence of LNI and/or nodal progression, defined as the onset of a new clinically detected lymphadenopathy (>10mm) in the retroperitoneal lymphatic area with associated systemic progression or histological confirmation or both. We tested the association between clinical characteristics and the endpoint of interest. Predictors consisted of age at surgery, clinical tumor size, preoperative hemoglobin, and platelets levels. Multivariable logistic regression model and smoothed Lowess method were used., Results: LNI was recorded in 14 cases (2.2%). The median follow-up after surgery was 68 months. During the study period, 23 patients (1.1%) experienced LN progression; 91% of those patients experienced LN progression within 3 years after surgery. Combining the 2 endpoints, 36 patients (1.8%) had LNI and/or LN progression. Clinical tumor size was the only independent predictors of LNI and/or LN progression (OR = 1.25). A significant increase of the risk of LNI and/or LN progression was observed in RCC larger than 7cm (cT2a or higher)., Conclusions: LNI and/or LN progression is a rare entity in patients with localized RCC. Nonetheless, patients with larger tumors might still benefit from LND because of a non-negligible risk of LNI and/or LN progression., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: A significant proportion of patients undergoing radical nephrectomy (RN) for clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) develop chronic kidney disease (CKD) within a few years following surgery. Chronic kidney disease has important health, social and economic impact and no predictive biomarkers are currently available. MicroRNAs (miRs) are small non-coding RNAs implicated in several pathological processes., Methods: Primary objective of our study was to define miRs whose deregulation is predictive of CKD in patients treated with RN. Ribonucleic acid from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded renal parenchyma (cortex and medulla isolated separately) situated >3 cm from the matching RCC was tested for miR expression using nCounter NanoString technology in 71 consecutive patients treated with RN for RCC. Validation was performed by RT-PCR and in situ hybridisation. End point was post-RN CKD measured 12 months post-operatively. Multivariable logistic regression and decision curve analysis were used to test the statistical and clinical impact of predictors of CKD., Results: The overexpression of miR-193b-3p was associated with high risk of developing CKD in patients undergoing RN for RCC and emerged as an independent predictor of CKD. The addition of miR-193b-3p to a predictive model based on clinical variables (including sex and estimated glomerular filtration rate) increased the sensitivity of the predictive model from 81 to 88%. In situ hybridisation showed that miR-193b-3p overexpression was associated with tubule-interstitial inflammation and fibrosis in patients with no clinical or biochemical evidence of pre-RN nephropathy., Conclusions: miR-193b-3p might represent a useful biomarker to tailor and implement surveillance strategies for patients at high risk of developing CKD following RN.

Although nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) has demonstrated benefit in terms of renal function preservation, it is unclear whether NSS might also decrease the risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) relative to radical nephrectomy (RN). In the current paper, we aimed to report the rate and the predictors of ESRD after surgery, accounting for detailed individual baseline characteristics and comorbidities. A multi-institutional collaboration among five European tertiary care centers allowed study of 2027 patients with normal preoperative renal function and a clinically localized T1abN0M0 renal mass. Cox regression analyses were used to predict the risk of ESRD (defined as the onset of a postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate <15ml/min per 1.73 m 2 ) after adjusting for the individual baseline risk of developing chronic kidney disease. Univariable ESRD rates at 5 and 10 yr of follow-up were virtually equivalent for patients who underwent NSS (1.5% and 2.5%, respectively) versus RN (1.9% and 2.7%, respectively; hazard ratio [HR]: 0.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.4-1.6). However, diabetes, smoking, uncontrolled hypertension, and other comorbidities were consistently more frequent in the NSS group relative to their RN counterparts. After adjusting for detailed baseline individual characteristics, NSS was shown to have an independent protective effect relative to RN (HR: 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.8; p=0.02) at multivariable analyses., Patient Summary: After accounting for individual baseline characteristics, such as age, diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, or other comorbidities, partial nephrectomy independently protects against end-stage renal disease and the consequent need for dialysis relative to radical nephrectomy., (Copyright © 2016 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: There is no consensus regarding a protective effect on mortality due to a cause other than cancer in patients treated with elective nephron sparing surgery relative to their radical nephrectomy counterparts. We test whether the protective effect of nephron sparing surgery relative to radical nephrectomy is universal or present in specific subgroups of patients., Materials and Methods: A collaborative database of 5 institutions was queried to evaluate 1,783 patients without chronic kidney disease diagnosed with a clinical T1 renal mass that was treated with nephron sparing surgery or radical nephrectomy. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was done to assess the impact of surgery type (nephron sparing surgery vs radical nephrectomy) on other cause mortality after adjustment for patient and cancer characteristics. Interaction terms were used to test the hypothesis that the impact of surgery type varies according to specific subcohorts of patients., Results: Ten-year other cause mortality-free survival rates were 90% and 88% after nephron sparing surgery and radical nephrectomy, respectively. In the overall population radical nephrectomy was not associated with an increased risk of other cause mortality on multivariable analysis compared to nephron sparing surgery (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.6-1.38, p = 0.6). However, radical nephrectomy increased the risk of other cause mortality according to the increasing baseline Charlson comorbidity index (interaction test p = 0.0008). For example, in a patient with a Charlson comorbidity index of 4 the probability of 10-year other cause mortality-free survival was 86% after nephron sparing surgery and 60% after radical nephrectomy., Conclusions: Elective nephron sparing surgery does not improve other cause survival relative to radical nephrectomy consistently in all patients with kidney cancer. Patients who are more ill with relevant comorbidities are those who benefit the most from nephron sparing surgery in terms of other cause mortality., (Copyright © 2016 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Some reports have suggested that nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) may protect against cardiovascular events (CVe) when compared with radical nephrectomy (RN). However, previous studies did not adjust the results for potential selection bias secondary to baseline cardiovascular risk., Objective: To test the effect of treatment type (NSS vs RN) on the risk of developing CVe after accounting for individual cardiovascular risk., Design, Setting, and Participants: A multi-institutional collaboration including 1331 patients with a clinical T1a-T1b N0 M0 renal mass and normal renal function before surgery (defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate≥60 ml/min/1.73 m2)., Intervention: RN (n=462, 34.7%) or NSS (n=869, 65.3%) between 1987 and 2013., Outcome Measurement and Statistical Analyses: CVe was defined as onset during the follow-up period of coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, hypertension, vasculopathy, heart failure, dysrhythmias, or cerebrovascular disease not known before surgery. Cox regression analyses were performed. To adjust for inherent baseline differences among patients, we performed multivariate analyses adjusting for all available characteristics depicting the overall and cardiovascular-specific profile of the patients., Results and Limitations: When stratifying for treatment type, the proportion of patients who experienced CVe at 1, 5, and 10 yr was 5.5%, 9.9%, and 20.2% for NSS patients compared to 8.7%, 15.6%, and 25.9%, respectively, for RN patients (p=0.001). In multivariate analyses, patients who underwent NSS showed a significantly lower risk of developing CVe compared with their RN counterparts (hazard ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.34-0.96; p=0.03) after accounting for clinical characteristics and cardiovascular profile. Limitations include the retrospective design of the study because other potential confounders may exist., Conclusions: The risk of CVe after renal surgery is not negligible. Patients treated with NSS have roughly half the risk of developing CVe relative to their RN counterparts. After accounting for clinical characteristics, comorbidities, and cardiovascular risk at diagnosis, NSS independently decreases the risk of CVe relative to RN., Patient Summary: The risk of having a cardiovascular event after renal surgery decreases if a portion of the affected kidney is spared., (Copyright © 2014 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Metastatic renal cell carcinoma can be clinically diverse in terms of the pattern of metastatic disease and response to treatment. We studied the impact of metastasis and location on cancer specific survival., Materials and Methods: The records of 2,017 patients with renal cell cancer and tumor thrombus who underwent radical nephrectomy and tumor thrombectomy from 1971 to 2012 at 22 centers in the United States and Europe were analyzed. Number and location of synchronous metastases were compared with respect to patient cancer specific survival. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to quantify the impact of covariates., Results: Lymph node metastasis (155) or distant metastasis (725) was present in 880 (44%) patients. Of the patients with distant disease 385 (53%) had an isolated metastasis. The 5-year cancer specific survival was 51.3% (95% CI 48.6-53.9) for the entire group. On univariable analysis patients with isolated lymph node metastasis had a significantly worse cancer specific survival than those with a solitary distant metastasis. The location of distant metastasis did not have any significant effect on cancer specific survival. On multivariable analysis the presence of lymph node metastasis, isolated distant metastasis and multiple distant metastases were independently associated with cancer specific survival. Moreover higher tumor thrombus level, papillary histology and the use of postoperative systemic therapy were independently associated with worse cancer specific survival., Conclusions: In our multi-institutional series of patients with renal cell cancer who underwent radical nephrectomy and tumor thrombectomy, almost half of the patients had synchronous lymph node or distant organ metastasis. Survival was superior in patients with solitary distant metastasis compared to isolated lymph node disease., (Copyright © 2015 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess the influence of vascular clamping and ischemia time on long-term post-operative renal function following partial nephrectomy (PN) for cancer in a solitary kidney., Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective study including 259 patients managed by PN between 1979 and 2010 in 13 centers. Clamping use, technique choice (pedicular or parenchymal clamping), ischemia time, and peri-operative data were collected. Pre-operative and last follow-up glomerular filtration rates were compared. A multivariate analysis using a Cox model was performed to assess the impact of ischemia on post-operative chronic renal failure risk., Results: Mean tumor size was 4.0±2.3cm and mean pre-operative glomerular filtration rate was 60.8±18.9mL/min. One hundred and six patients were managed with warm ischemia (40.9%) and 53 patients with cold ischemia (20.5%). Thirty patients (11.6%) have had a chronic kidney disease. In multivariate analysis, neither vascular clamping (P=0.44) nor warm ischemia time (P=0.1) were associated with a pejorative evolution of renal function. Pre-operative glomerular filtration rate (P<0.0001) and blood loss volume (P=0.02) were significant independent predictive factors of long-term renal failure., Conclusion: Renal function following PN in a solitary kidney seems to depend on non-reversible factors such as pre-operative glomerular filtration rate. Our findings minimize the role of vascular clamping and ischemia time, which were not significantly associated with chronic renal failure risk in our study., Level of Evidence: 5., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To analyze to what extent partial nephrectomy (PN) is superior to radical nephrectomy (RN) in preserving renal function outcome in relation to tumor size indication., Methods and Materials: Clinical data from 973 patients operated at 9 academic institutions were retrospectively analyzed. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) before and after surgery was calculated with the abbreviated Modification of the Diet in Renal Disease equation. For a fair comparison between the 2 techniques, all imperative indications for PN were excluded. A shift to a less favorable GFR group following surgery was considered clinically significant., Results: Median age at diagnosis was 60 years (19-91). Tumor size was smaller than 4 cm in 665 (68.3%) cases and larger than 4 cm in 308 (31.7%) cases. PN and RN were performed in 663 (68.1%) and 310 (31.9%) patients, respectively. In univariate analysis, patients undergoing PN had a smaller risk for developing significant GFR change following surgery than those undergoing RN did. This was true for tumors≤4 cm (P = 0.0001) and for tumors>4 cm (P = 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, the following criteria were independent predictive factors for developing significant postoperative GFR loss: the use of RN (P = 0.0001), preoperative GFR<60 ml/min (P = 0.0001), tumor size≥4 cm (P = 0.0001), and older age at diagnosis (P = 0.0001)., Conclusions: The renal function benefit carried out by elective PN over RN persists even when expanding nephron-sparing surgery indications beyond the traditional 4-cm cutoff., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To test whether the number of lymph nodes removed affects cancer-specific survival (CSS) or metastatic progression-free survival (MPFS) in different renal cell carcinoma (RCC) scenarios., Methods: We used Cox regression analyses to analyse the effect of the number of lymph nodes removed on CSS and MPFS in 1983 patients with RCC treated with nephrectomy. To adjust for possible clinical and surgical selection bias, analyses were further adjusted for number of positive nodes, presence of metastases, age, performance status, T stage, tumour size and grade., Results: The prevalence of lymph node invasion was 6.1%. The mean follow-up period was 83.3 months. Multivariable analyses showed that the number of nodes removed had an independent, protective effect on CSS in patients with pT2a-pT2b or pT3c-pT4 RCC (hazard ratio [HR] 0.91, P = 0.008 and HR 0.89, P < 0.001, respectively), in patients with bulky tumours (tumour size >10 cm, HR 0.97, P = 0.03) or when sarcomatoid features were found (HR 0.81, P = 0.006). The removal of each additional lymph node was associated with a 3-19% increase in CSS. When considering MPFS as an endpoint, the number of nodes removed had an independent, protective effect in the same patient categories., Conclusions: When clinically indicated, the number of nodes removed affects CSS and MPFS in specific sub-categories of patients with RCC., (© 2013 The Authors. BJU International © 2013 BJU International.)

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) extension into the renal vein or the inferior vena cava occurs in 4%-10% of all kidney cancer cases. This entity shows a wide range of different clinical and surgical scenarios, making natural history and oncological outcomes variable and poorly characterized. Infrequency and variability make it necessary to share the experience from different institutions to properly analyze surgical outcomes in this setting. The International Renal Cell Carcinoma-Venous Tumor Thrombus Consortium was created to answer the questions generated by competing results from different retrospective studies in RCC with venous extension on current controversial topics. The aim of this article is to summarize the experience gained from the analysis of the world's largest cohort of patients in this unique setting to date.

Introduction: In surgically treated patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the progression-free survival (PFS) rate may significantly change according to the progression-free postoperative period. To test this hypothesis, we set to evaluate the conditional PFS rate in surgically treated patients with RCC., Methods: We evaluated 1,454 patients with RCC, surgically treated between 1987 and 2010, at a single institution. Cumulative survival estimates were used to generate conditional PFS rates. Separate Cox regression models were fitted to predict clinical-progression risk in patients who were progression free from 1 to 10 years after surgery., Results: During the immediate postoperative period, the 5-year PFS rate was 88%, and it increased to 92%, 94%, and 97% in patients who remained progression free at, respectively, 1, 5, and 10 years after surgery. At multivariable analyses, where patients with stage I disease were considered as a reference, the highest clinical-progression risk was observed at the eighth postoperative year in patients with stage II disease (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.9) and during the immediate postoperative period in patients with stage III to IV disease (HR: 5.5). In comparison with patients with grade I disease, the highest clinical-progression risk was observed at the fourth (as well as eighth) postoperative year in patients with grade II disease (HR: 5.7), sixth postoperative year in patients with grade III disease (HR: 7.2), and during the immediate postoperative period in patients with grade IV disease (HR: 8.5)., Conclusions: The postoperative progression-free period has an important effect on the subsequent clinical-progression risk. This aspect should be considered along with tumor characteristics to plan the most cost-effective follow-up scheme for surgically treated patients with RCC., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Partial Nephrectomy (PN) in a solitary kidney is at risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage V and/or haemodialysis (HD). Our objective was to determine predictive factors of CKD stage V in this population., Material & Methods: Data from 300 patients were retrospectively collected from 16 tertiary centres. Clinical and operative parameters, tumor characteristics and renal function before surgery were analyzed. Patients with and without CKD stage V (defined as MDRD<1 5 ml/min) were compared using χ2 and Student-t tests for qualitative and quantitative variables, respectively. Predictive factors of CKD stage V were evaluated with a multivariable analysis using a Cox regression model., Results: Median age and BMI were 63 years old and 26 kg/m², respectively. Most of the patients (65%) were male with an anatomic solitary kidney (88.3%). Median tumor size was 4 cm and 98% were malignant tumors. Median operative time, blood loss and clamping time were 180 min, 350 ml and 20 min respectively. Renal cooling was used in 19.3% and clamping of the pedicle was performed in 61.6%. Twenty five patients (8.5%) presented post operative CKD stage V at last follow-up and 18 underwent HD (6%) post-operatively because of acute renal insufficiency. There was no difference between CKD stage V and non CKD stage V patients concerning Charlson index, operative time (180 min vs 179 min, p = 0.39), blood loss (475 ml vs 350 ml, p = 0.51), use of renal cooling and type of clamping. Patients with CKD stage V were older (70 vs 63 years old, p = 0.005), had a lower baseline renal function (clearance MDRD 41 vs. 62 ml/min, p<0.0001) and an increased tumor size (p = 0.02). Complications occurred in 91 patients (30%) with 16% of minor (Clavien 1-2) and 14% of major (Clavien > 2) complications, respectively. In multivariable analysis, baseline MDRD, BMI, and the occurrence of a minor complication were independent predictive factors of post operative CKD stage V., Conclusion: PN in a solitary kidney is at risk of post-operative CKD stage V and HD. Pre-operative altered renal function and post operative complications are the main predictive factors of permanent CKD stage V., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Unlabelled: What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? In RCC about 5% of the patients presented multifocal disease. Prevalence of tumour multifocality was associated with a higher percentage of symptomatic RCC, higher pathological TNM stages, higher tumour grade and higher prevalence of tumour necrosis. Although in univariable analysis multifocal tumours had lower probability of CSS, tumour multifocality did not retain an independent predictive role in multivariable analysis. Patient age at surgery, gender, mode of presentation, pathological N stage and presence of metastases were independent predictors of CSS in multivariable analyses., Objective: • To evaluate the prevalence and the prognostic role of multifocality in a large multi-institutional series of patients who underwent radical or partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma (RCC)., Methods: • We retrospectively collected the data of 5378 patients who were surgically treated for RCC in 16 academic centres involved in the Surveillance and Treatment Update Renal Neoplasms (SATURN) project. • Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models addressed time to cancer-specific survival (CSS) after surgery., Results: • Tumour multifocality was identified in 249 patients (5%). The median follow-up of the whole cohort was 42 months. At last follow-up, 786 (14.6%) were dead of cancer and 336 (6.2%) had experienced non-cancer-related death. • The 5- and 10-year CSS estimates were 84.1% and 77.3%, respectively, in patients with monofocal RCC, compared with 71.1% and 63.6%, respectively, in patients with multifocal disease (P < 0.001). • In univariable Cox regression analysis, tumour multifocality was significantly associated with CSS (hazard ratio [HR]= 1.83; P < 0.001). • On multivariate Cox regression analysis adjusted for the effects of other covariates, tumour multifocality did not retain an independent predictive value (HR = 1.24; P= 0.291)., Conclusions: • In the present multi-institutional collaboration, about 5% of the patients presented multifocal RCC. • The presence of multifocal cancer was associated with some unfavourable clinical and pathological features. • Although in univariable analysis multifocal tumours had lower CSS probabilities, tumour multifocality did not retain an independent predictive role in multivariable analysis, once adjusted for the effect of the other clinical and pathological covariates., (© 2012 BJU INTERNATIONAL.)

Objective: To compare the oncological outcomes of patients who underwent elective partial nephrectomy (PN) or radical nephrectomy (RN) for clinically organ-confined renal masses ≤7 cm in size (cT1)., Patients and Methods: The records of 3480 patients with cT1N0M0 disease were extracted from a multi-institutional database and analyzed retrospectively., Results: In patients who underwent PN, the risk of clinical understaging was 3.2% in cT1a cases and 10.6% in cT1b cases. With regard to the cT1a patients, the 5- and 10-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) estimates were 94.7% and 90.4%, respectively, after RN and 96.1% and 94.9%, respectively, after PN (log-rank test: P = 0.01). With regard to cT1b patients, the 5-year CSS probabilities were 92.6% after RN and 90% after PN, respectively (log-rank test: P = 0.89). Surgical treatment failed to be an independent predictor of CSS on multivariable analysis, both for cT1a and cT1b patients. Interestingly, PN was oncologically equivalent to RN also in patients with pT3a tumours (log-rank test: P = 0.91)., Conclusions: Elective PN is not associated with an increased risk of recurrence and cancer-specific mortality in both cT1a and cT1b tumours. Data from the present study strongly support the use of partial nephrectomy in patients with clinically T1 tumours, according to the current recommendations of the international guidelines., (© 2011 THE AUTHORS. BJU INTERNATIONAL © 2011 BJU INTERNATIONAL.)

Background: To our knowledge, the impact of venous tumour thrombus (VTT) consistency in patients affected by renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has never been addressed., Objective: To analyse the effect of VTT consistency on cancer-specific survival (CSS)., Design, Setting, and Participants: We retrospectively analysed 174 consecutive patients with RCC and renal vein or inferior vena cava (IVC) VTT who underwent surgical treatment between 1989 and 2007 at our institute., Intervention: All patients underwent radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy., Measurements: Pathologic specimens were reviewed by a single uropathologist. In addition to traditional pathologic features, the morphologic aspect of the tumour thrombus was evaluated to distinguish solid from friable patterns. The prognostic role of thrombus consistency (solid vs friable) on CSS was assessed by means of Cox regression models., Results and Limitations: The VTT was solid in 107 patients (61.5%) and friable in 67 patients (38.5%). The presence of a friable VTT increased the risk of having synchronous nodal or distant metastases, higher tumour grade, higher pathologic stage, and simultaneous perinephric fat invasion (all p < 0.05). The median follow-up was 24 mo. The median CSS was 33 mo; the median CSS was 8 mo in patients with a friable VTT and 55 mo in patients with a solid VTT (p < 0.001). On multivariable analyses, the presence of a friable VTT was an independent predictor of CSS (p = 0.02). The power of our conclusion may be somewhat limited by the relatively small study population and the retrospective nature of the study., Conclusions: In patients with RCC and VTT, the presence of a friable thrombus is an independent predictor of CSS. If our finding is confirmed by further studies, the consistency of the tumour thrombus should be introduced into routine pathologic reports to provide better patient risk stratification., (Copyright © 2011 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The excision of the renal tumor with a substantial margin of healthy parenchyma is considered the gold standard technique for partial nephrectomy. However, simple enucleation showed excellent results in some retrospective series. We compared the oncologic outcomes after standard partial nephrectomy and simple enucleation., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 982 patients who underwent standard partial nephrectomy and 537 who had simple enucleation for localized renal cell carcinoma at 16 academic centers between 1997 and 2007. Local recurrence, cancer specific survival and progression-free survival were the main outcomes of this study. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival functions and differences were assessed with the log rank statistic. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models addressed progression-free survival and cancer specific survival., Results: Median followup of the patients undergoing traditional partial nephrectomy and simple enucleation was 51 ± 37.8 and 54.4 ± 36 months, respectively (p = 0.08). The 5 and 10-year progression-free survival estimates were 88.9 and 82% after standard partial nephrectomy, and 91.4% and 90.8% after simple enucleation (p = 0.09). The 5 and 10-year cancer specific survival estimates were 93.9% and 91.6% after standard partial nephrectomy, and 94.3% and 93.2% after simple enucleation (p = 0.94). On multivariable analysis the adopted nephron sparing surgery technique was not an independent predictor of progression-free survival (HR 0.8, p = 0.55) and cancer specific survival (HR 0.7, p = 0.53) when adjusted for the effect of the other covariates., Conclusions: To our knowledge this is the first multicenter, comparative study showing oncologic equivalence of standard partial nephrectomy and simple enucleation., (Copyright © 2011 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The occurrence of positive surgical margins (PSMs) after partial nephrectomy (PN) is rare, and little is known about their natural history., Objective: To identify predictive factors of cancer recurrence and related death in patients having a PSM following PN., Design, Setting, and Participants: Some 111 patients with a PSM were identified from a multicentre retrospective survey and were compared with 664 negative surgical margin (NSM) patients. A second cohort of NSM patients was created by matching NSM to PSM for indication, tumour size, and tumour grade., Measurements: PSM and NSM patients were compared using student t tests and chi-square tests on independent samples. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to test the independent effects of clinical and pathologic variables on survival., Results and Limitations: Mean age at diagnosis was 61+/-12.5 yr. Mean tumour size was 3.5+/-2 cm. Imperative indications accounted for 39% (43 of 111) of the cases. Some 18 patients (16%) underwent a second surgery (partial or total nephrectomy). With a mean follow-up of 37 mo, 11 patients (10%) had recurrences and 12 patients (11%) died, including 6 patients (5.4%) who died of cancer progression. Some 91% (10 of 11) of the patients who had recurrences and 83% of the patients (10 of 12) who died belonged to the group with imperative surgical indications. Rates of recurrence-free survival, of cancer-specific survival, and of overall survival were the same among NSM patients and PSM patients. The multivariable Cox model showed that the two variables that could predict recurrence were the indication (p=0.017) and tumour location (p=0.02). No other variable, including PSM status, had any effect on recurrence. None of the studied parameters had any effect on the rate of cancer-specific survival., Conclusions: PSM status occurs more frequently in cases in which surgery is imperative and is associated with an increased risk of recurrence, but PSM status does not appear to influence cancer-specific survival. Additional follow-up is needed., (2009 European Association of Urology. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: We examined the impact of lymphadenectomy on the clinical outcomes of patients with upper tract urothelial cancer treated with radical nephroureterectomy., Materials and Methods: Data were collected on 1,130 consecutive patients with pT1-4 upper tract urothelial cancer treated with radical nephroureterectomy at 13 centers worldwide. Patients were grouped according to nodal status (pN0 vs pNx vs pN+). The choice to perform lymphadenectomy was determined by the treating surgeon. All pathology slides were reevaluated by dedicated genitourinary pathologists. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models measured the association of nodal status (pN0 vs pNx vs pN+) with cancer specific survival., Results: Overall 412 patients (36.5%) had pN0 disease, 578 had pNx disease (51.1%) and 140 had pN+ disease (12.4%). The 5-year cancer specific survival estimate was lower in patients with pN+ compared to those with pNx disease (35% vs 69%, p <0.001), which in turn was lower than that in those with pN0 disease (69% vs 77%, p = 0.024). In the subgroup of patients with pT1 disease (345) cancer specific survival rates were not different in those with pN0 and pNx. In pT2-4 cases (813) cancer specific survival estimates were lowest in pN+, intermediate in pNx and highest in pN0 (33% vs 58% vs 70%, p = 0.017). When adjusted for the effects of standard clinicopathological features pN+ was an independent predictor of cancer specific survival (p <0.001). pNx was significantly associated with worse prognosis than pN0 in pT2-4 upper tract urothelial cancer only., Conclusions: Nodal status is a significant predictor of cancer specific survival in upper tract urothelial cancer. pNx is significantly associated with a worse prognosis than pN0 in pT2-4 tumors. Patients expected to have pT2-4 disease should undergo lymphadenectomy to improve staging and thereby help guide decision making regarding adjuvant chemotherapy.

Purpose: The objective was to define the trends of PN use over time at six tertiary care European centers., Methods: Data were retrieved from institutional databases for patients treated with either PN or radical nephrectomy (RN) for stages T(1-2)N(0)M(0) renal cell carcinoma (RCC) between 1987 and 2007. For purpose of temporal trend analyses patients were divided into five equally sized groups according to the date of surgery. Categorical and multivariable logistic regression analyses assessed predictors of PN use., Results: Overall 597 (31.7%) patients were treated with PN. Overall, a 4.5-fold increase of PN was recorded. The absolute increases were 41.7-86.3%, 14.9-69.3% and 8.1-35.3% for lesions < or = 2 cm, 2.1-4 cm and 4.1-7 cm (chi-square trend test p<0.001), respectively. In multivariable logistic regression models, decreasing tumor size, younger age, more contemporary date of surgery, male gender and institutional PN rate represented independent predictors of the individual probability of treatment with PN. Lack of data from community hospitals limits the generalizability of our findings., Conclusion: Based on data from six tertiary care centers, the contemporary rate of PN ranges from 86 to 35% for renal masses < or = 2 cm to 4.1-7 cm and is indicative of excellent quality of care.

Background: Currently two pretreatment prognostic models with limited accuracy (65-67%) can be used to predict survival in patients with localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC)., Objective: We set out to develop a more accurate pretreatment model for predicting RCC-specific mortality after nephrectomy for all stages of RCC., Design, Setting, and Participants: The data originated from a series of prospectively recorded contemporary cases of patients treated with radical or partial nephrectomy between 1984 and 2006. Model development was performed using data from 2474 patients from five centers and external validation was performed using data from 1972 patients from seven centers., Measurements: The probability of RCC-specific mortality was modeled using Cox regression. The significance of the predictors was confirmed using competing risks analyses, which account for mortality from other causes., Results and Limitations: Median follow-up in patients who did not die of RCC-specific causes was 4.2 yr and 3.5 yr in the development and validation cohorts, respectively. The freedom from cancer-specific mortality rates in the nomogram development cohort were 75.4% at 5 yr after nephrectomy and 68.3% at 10 yr after nephrectomy. All variables except gender achieved independent predictor status. In the external validation cohort the nomogram predictions were 88.1% accurate at 1 yr, 86.8% accurate at 2 yr, 86.8% accurate at 5 yr, and 84.2% accurate at 10 yr., Conclusions: Our model substantially exceeds the accuracy of the existing pretreatment models. Consequently, the proposed nomogram-based predictions may be used as benchmark data for pretreatment decision making in patients with various stages of RCC.