title: Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of renal tumors: a single-center experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the oncological outcomes, complications, and changes in renal function in patients treated with computed tomography-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for small renal tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The charts of patients who underwent RFA from 2006 to 2011 at a single institution were reviewed. Oncological and functional outcomes were assessed. Statistical analyses were performed with IBM SPSS ver. 18.0 (IBM Co., Armonk, NY, USA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 44 RFAs were done in 40 patients. Biopsy prior to RFA was performed in 79.6% of procedures. Of those, 68.6% had renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Mean tumor diameter was 26.2 mm. Grade I complications occurred in 25% of cases (n=11, pain or elevated temperature) and grade II complications in 2.3% (n=1, perirenal bleeding needing two units of blood transfusion). Serum creatinine slightly increased by 0.14 mg/dL at 2 years after RFA (p<0.004). Tumor recurrences were suspected in 8 of 43 cases during follow-up. In five patients, the suspected recurrence was a false-positive as shown by a negative biopsy result or lack of contrast enhancement on subsequent imaging. The verified recurrence rate was 7.7% in all tumors and 2.5% in RCC at a mean follow-up of 2 years. Tumor-free survival was 90% in all patients and 87.5% in those with RCC. Metastasis-free survival was 97.5% and cancer-specific survival was 100%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Percutaneous computed tomography-guided RFA shows promising results at intermediate follow-up. Suspected tumor recurrences are frequently false-positives findings. A longer follow-up is required to verify the durability of these results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Landesklinikum Baden-Mödling, Baden, Austria.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seklehner
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fellner
authors.forename: Paul F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Engelhardt
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schabauer
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riedl
keywords: Ablation techniques; Kidney neoplasms; Minimally invasive surgical procedures; Renal cell carcinoma
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