title: Long-term survival analysis after laparoscopic radical nephrectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This report assesses the long-term oncological efficacy of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy compared with open radical nephrectomy in patients with clinically localized renal cell carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the data from 121 patients who underwent radical nephrectomy between 1991 and 1999 for clinical tumor stage T1/2 N0M0. The medical records of all patients were retrospectively reviewed with emphasis on tumor recurrence and survival. Statistical comparison was performed using Kaplan-Meier analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median followup was 73 months for the laparoscopic group and 80 months for the open group. Of the 67 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery, 53 survived without any recurrence of disease, 2 are currently alive with metastasis, 2 died of metastatic disease in months 12 and 17, and 10 patients died without any disease recurrence. Laparoscopic port site metastasis did not develop in any patients. Of the 54 who underwent open surgery, 34 survived without any recurrence of disease, 1 currently has metastasis, 6 died of metastasis within 17 to 74 months, and 13 died without any disease recurrence. A comparison of the 5 and 10-year disease-free survival rates of the laparoscopic and open groups revealed no significant differences. In addition, the 5 and 10-year cancer specific and actuarial survival rates were not significantly different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on long-term followup, our evaluation confirmed for clinical tumor stage T1/2 N0M0 that laparoscopic radical nephrectomy is oncologically equivalent to open radical nephrectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Sompol
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Permpongkosol
authors.forename: David Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Link
authors.forename: Myrna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sroka
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allaf
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Varkarakis
authors.forename: Guilherme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Jarrett
authors.forename: Louis R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Kavoussi
mesh_terms: D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009366:Neoplasm Seeding; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods; D016019:Survival Analysis