title: [Renal tumors smaller that 3 cm].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the characteristics of renal adenocarcinoma less than 3 cm in size and to determine the therapeutic approach in these tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  286 cases with a histological diagnosis of renal adenocarcinoma that had undergone surgery at our hospital over the last 25 years were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study showed 11 cases had renal tumors less than 3 cm in size. Six had been incidentally diagnosed. Two patients presented metastasis during the course of the disease and one patient had massive lymph node invasion (N3) at the time of diagnosis. Seven patients had a low tumor stage and grade.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Renal tumors less than 3 cm in size have been considered to have a low potential for malignancy. However, the availability of more sophisticated diagnostic imaging techniques have led to earlier detection of renal masses, when the tumor is of a smaller size. Therefore determining whether the tumor is benign or malignant should be based exclusively on the histopathological findings. Treatment of this type of lesions is by surgery and performing a partial nephrectomy should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Urología, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, España.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vega Vega
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gutièrrez Baños
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Martín García
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hernández Rodríguez
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Portillo Martín
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Coreas Gómez
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: del Valle Schaan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roca Edreira
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villanueva Ricardo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate