Resection of metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Resection of solitary metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is associated with a 5-year survival rate of 35% to 50%. Selection criteria are not well defined.


METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed our experience with 278 patients with recurrent RCC from 1980 to 1993.


RESULTS
One hundred forty-one of 278 patients underwent a curative metastectomy for their first recurrence (44% 5-year overall survival [OS] rate), 70 patients underwent noncurative surgery (14% 5-year OS rate), and 67 patients were treated nonsurgically (11% 5-year OS rate). Favorable features for survival were a disease-free interval (DFI) greater than 12 months versus 12 months or less (55% v 9% 5-year OS rate; P < .0001), solitary versus multiple sites of metastases (54% v 29% 5-year OS rate; P < .001), and age younger than 60 years (49% v 35% 5-year OS rate; P < .05). Among 94 patients with a solitary metastasis, lung (n = 50; 54% 5-year OS rate) was more favorable than brain (n = 11; 18% 5-year OS rate; P < .05). Survival rates after curative resection of second and third metastases were not different compared with initial metastectomy (46% and 44%, respectively, v 43% 5-year OS rates; P = nonsignificant). Favorable predictors of survival by multivariate analysis included a single site of first recurrence, curative resection of first metastasis, a long DFI, a solitary site of first metastasis, and a metachronous presentation with recurrence.


CONCLUSIONS
Selected patients with recurrent RCC who can undergo a curative resection of their disease have a good opportunity for long-term survival, particularly those with a single site of recurrence and/or a long DFI.
Kavolius
J P
JP
Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Mastorakos
D P
DP
Pavlovich
C
C
Russo
P
P
Burt
M E
ME
Brady
M S
MS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate