Surgical resection of renal cell carcinoma after targeted therapy.
OBJECTIVE
The development of targeted agents for renal cell carcinoma has renewed interest in consolidative surgery due to the robust clinical responses seen with these agents. The integration of targeted therapy and surgery requires careful consideration due to the potential for increased perioperative morbidity.


METHODS
We retrospectively identified patients with renal cell carcinoma treated with sunitinib, sorafenib or bevacizumab plus interleukin-2 before tumor resection.


RESULTS
Between June 2005 and August 2008, 19 patients were treated with targeted therapy and subsequently underwent resection. Surgical extirpation involved an open and a laparoscopic approach in 18 and 3 cases, respectively, for locally advanced (8), locally recurrent (6) and metastatic disease (3). Two patients with extensive bilateral renal cell carcinoma were also treated to downsize the tumors to enable partial nephrectomy. Perioperative complications were noted in 16% of patients. One patient had a significant intraoperative hemorrhage and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy from a concomitant liver resection. An anastomotic bowel leak and abscess were noted postoperatively in another patient who underwent en bloc resection of a retroperitoneal recurrence and adjacent colon. Two patients (11%) had minor wound complications, including a wound seroma and a ventral hernia. Pathological analysis of 20 specimens revealed clear cell, chromophobe and unclassified renal cell carcinoma in 80%, 5% and 10% of cases, respectively. One patient (5%) had a pathological complete response.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical resection of renal cell carcinoma after targeted therapy is feasible with low morbidity in most patients. However, significant complications can occur, raising concern for possible compromise of tissue and/or vascular integrity associated with surgery in this setting.
Thomas
Anil A
AA
Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
Rini
Brian I
BI
Stephenson
Andrew J
AJ
Garcia
Jorge A
JA
Fergany
Amr
A
Krishnamurthi
Venkatesh
V
Novick
Andrew C
AC
Gill
Inderbir S
IS
Klein
Eric A
EA
Zhou
Ming
M
Campbell
Steven C
SC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001557:Benzenesulfonates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009392:Nephrectomy; D009536:Niacinamide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D010671:Phenylurea Compounds; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011725:Pyridines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077157:Sorafenib; D000077210:Sunitinib
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D001557:Benzenesulfonates; D007211:Indoles; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010671:Phenylurea Compounds; D011725:Pyridines; D011758:Pyrroles; D009536:Niacinamide; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D000077157:Sorafenib; D000077210:Sunitinib