[Partial nephrectomy for renal cancers larger than 4 cm].
OBJECTIVE
To compare the results in patients operated by partial nephrectomy (PN) and radical nephrectomy (RN) for renal cancers < 4 cm, between 4 and 7 cm and > 7 cm.


METHODS
Retrospective study including 107 patients operated for renal cancer between 1998 and 2004. Demographic characteristics, TNM stage, tumour diameter and type of surgery (PN vs RN) were recorded. The patients' current status was determined and a survival curve was constructed by the Kaplan-Meier method.


RESULTS
35.2% patients were operated by PN and 64.8% were operated by RN. The mean follow-up was 45 months. No significant difference in recurrence-free survival rate was observed between patients operated by PN and RN for tumours < 4 cm (93.3% vs 92.3%, respectively, p = 0.243), or for tumours between 4 and 7 cm (100% vs 89.3%, respectively, p = 0.564) or for tumours > 7 cm (100% vs 85.5%, respectively, p = 0.218).


CONCLUSIONS
Partial nephrectomy is the standard treatment for tumours < 4 cm, but this study suggests that it is just as effective for tumours up to 7 cm in diameter. Although partial nephrectomy also appears to be a safe treatment for tumours > 7 cm, further studies based on a greater number of tumours in this size category with a longer follow-up are necessary.
Nemr
Elie
E
Service d'Urologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Hôtel-Dieu de France, Université Saint-Joseph, Beyrouth, Liban. enemr.hdf@usj.edu.lb
Azar
Georges
G
Fakih
Fadi
F
Chalouhy
Edward
E
Moukarzel
Maroun
M
Sarkis
Pierre
P
Khoury
Raghid
R
Ayoub
Nadim
N
Merhej
Sleiman
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies