title: Bilateral synchronous sporadic renal cell carcinoma: surgical management, oncological and functional outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the functional and oncological outcomes of surgical treatment of bilateral synchronous sporadic renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1969 and 2006, 57 patients with bilateral synchronous sporadic RCC were identified from our kidney database. The mean (range) follow-up was 4.8 (0.1-23.8) years; 28 patients (49%) had radical nephrectomy (RN) and contralateral nephron-sparing surgery (NSS), and 22 (39%) had bilateral NSS. The oncological outcome and long-term renal function were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After excluding four patients (7%) with bilateral benign renal tumours, six (11%) with metastatic bilateral RCC and three (5%) who had bilateral RN, the cancer-specific outcome was analysed. For 44 patients with bilateral RCC who had surgery with intent to cure and avoid dialysis, 13 (30%) had stage pT1a, 10 (23%) pT1b, nine (17%) pT2 and 12 (27%) pT3 disease. At 5 and 10 years, the cancer-specific survival rates were 86% and 75%, and the local recurrence-free survival rates were 87% and 80%. The median serum creatinine level at the latest follow-up was 1.18 mg/dL in patients after bilateral NSS and 1.40 mg/dL after unilateral NSS and contralateral RN (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These long-term data support the concept that NSS, whenever possible bilateral, is the treatment of choice for bilateral synchronous sporadic RCC. NSS provides adequate local tumour control and cancer-specific survival. Preservation of renal function is more efficient with bilateral NSS than with unilateral NSS and contralateral RN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55101 Mainz, Germany. Sascha.Pahernik@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Sascha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pahernik
authors.forename: Dragan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cudovic
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.forename: Sebastian W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Melchior
authors.forename: Joachim W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Thüroff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D009399:Nephrons / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome