title: Laparoscopic versus Open Radical Nephrectomy in T2 Renal Cell Carcinoma: Long-Term Oncologic Outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) has become the standard technique for radical nephrectomies for T1 renal tumors (7 cm or less). We extended our experience with LRN to T2 renal tumors (greater than 7 cm) and compared the efficacy and long-term oncologic outcomes with those of open radical nephrectomy (ORN) for T2 clear renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in the same period.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed the data from 33 patients who underwent LRN and 35 patients who underwent ORN in our institution from January 2003 to June 2006 for T2N0M0 RCC. We compared long-term oncologic outcomes between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median follow-up periods were 60.0 months (range, 48.0-77.0 months) and 65.6 months (range, 56.0-77.0 months) in the LRN and ORN groups, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the patients' demographic data. There were no significant differences in the 5-year overall survival rate, the cancer-specific survival rate, or the recurrence-free survival rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that LRN for the management of T2 RCC is feasible and efficacious and that the long-term oncologic outcomes of LRN are comparable to those of ORN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Se Yun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Jae Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Bum Soo
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae-Hwan
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun Sang
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Tae Gyun
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Kwon