title: A prospective randomized EORTC intergroup phase 3 study comparing the complications of elective nephron-sparing surgery and radical nephrectomy for low-stage renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study compared the complications and the cancer control of elective nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) and radical nephrectomy (RN) in patients with a small (<or=5 cm), solitary, low-stage N0 M0 tumour suspicious for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and a normal contralateral kidney.
  
  
  METHODS
  541 patients were randomised in a prospective, multicentre, phase 3 trial to undergo NSS (n=268) or RN (n=273) together with a limited lymph node dissection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This publication reports only on the complications reported for both surgical methods. The rate of perioperative blood loss<0.5l was slightly higher after RN (96.0% vs. 87.2%) and the rate of severe haemorrhage was slightly higher after NSS (3.1% vs. 1.2%). Ten patients (4.4%), all of whom were treated with NSS, developed urinary fistulas. Pleural damage (11.5% for NSS vs. 9.3% for RN) and spleen damage (0.4% for NSS and 0.4% for RN) were observed with similar rates in both groups. Postoperative computed tomography scanning abnormalities were seen in 5.8% of NSS and 2.0% of RN patients. Reoperation for complications was necessary in 4.4% of NSS and 2.4% of RN patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NSS for small, easily resectable, incidentally discovered RCC in the presence of a normal contralateral kidney can be performed safely with slightly higher complication rates than after RN. The oncologic results are eagerly awaited to confirm that NSS is an acceptable approach for small asymptomatic RCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Hendrik.VanPoppel@uz.kuleuven.ac.be
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Poppel
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Da Pozzo
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Albrecht
authors.forename: Vsevolod
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Matveev
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bono
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borkowski
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Marechal
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klotz
authors.forename: Eila
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keane
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Claessens
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sylvester
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D009399:Nephrons; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome