[Conservative surgical treatment of renal carcinoma. Personal experience with 29 surgical excisions of tumors].
From 1980 to 1988, elective conservative surgery (tumorectomy by enucleo-resection) was performed for renal cell carcinoma at stage I in 29 patients. An accurate preoperative renal investigation was carried out to identify the exact extension of the tumor and to study all the parenchimal situation, through IVP, ultrasound, CT scanning and, particularly, conventional selective angiography. The operative technique employed was: lymphadenectomy, peri-pararenal fat extirpation, in situ tumor enucleation by circular incision of the renal capsule and blunt dissection of the renal parenchyma with 2 cm safety margin to the tumor; multiple biopsies in the "bed" of resection for histopathologic peroperative evaluation; careful examination of the pseudocapsule and surrounding renal tissue; hemostasis. Follow-up was 10-113 months (mean 40,34 months). 2 of 29 patients died for progression of disease (at 52nd and 16yh month from surgery, 2/29 died for non-neoplastic reasons; 25/29 pts are living without local recurrences or distant metastases. In the same period (1980-1988), radical nephrectomy was performed for renal tumors at stage I in 34 patients. In an average observation period of 49,67 months, 2/34 patients died for progression of disease; 3/34 pts died for non-neoplastic reasons. 1/34 patient is living with pulmonar metastases and 28/34 are living without evidence of cancer. From this study we have got the conclusion that elective renal-sparing excision of the tumor (with macro-micro examination of the abscission surfaces) should be considered as a curative treatment in the case of low stage single tumors smaller than 7 cm, peripherally located in renal cortex, with unbroken pseudocapsule.