title: Safety, efficacy and predictors of local recurrence after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of biopsy-proven renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for localised renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and examine potential associations between age, gender, tumour size, location, chronic kidney disease, comorbidities, learning curve and local recurrence.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analysed survival outcomes for patients with biopsy-proven RCC treated by RFA at Westmead Hospital. Complication data were gathered from all patients that underwent renal RFA. 3 and 5 year local recurrence-free (RFS), disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) outcomes were reported. Univariate and multivariate analysis was used to examine each potential predictor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 168 patients were eligible for the study. Forty-eight patients with biopsy-proven RCC had minimum 3-year follow-up. Our complication rate was 1.2 % (2/168) and local recurrence rate 10.4 % (5/48). Five-year RFS, DFS and OS were 86.8, 82.3 and 92.6 % on a median 4.1-year follow-up (IQR 3.4-4.9). None of the patient or tumour-specific characteristics were associated with RFS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Radiofrequency ablation performed at our centre was a safe and effective procedure with low complication rates and durable RFS. Tumour characteristics, comorbidities and learning curve were not associated with local recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Corner of Hawkesbury and Darcy Roads, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia. michael.zy.su@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Michael Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Memon
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Howard M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Manish I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Wahroonga, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Henry H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Simon V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Bariol
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vladica
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
keywords: Carcinoma, renal cell; Neoplasm recurrence, local; Oncological outcomes; Percutaneous ablation; Radiofrequency ablation