Treatment of renal cell carcinoma by in situ partial nephrectomy and extracorporeal operation with autotransplantation.

During a 10-year period, 33 patients underwent in situ enucleation, in situ partial nephrectomy, or an extracorporeal operation for low-grade (1 or 2), low-stage (I or II), bilateral or solitary renal cell carcinoma. Only one patient (3%) (who had undergone in situ partial nephrectomy) had local recurrence; the projected 5-year rates of nonprogression of disease and survival from death due to cancer only were 76% and 87%, respectively. A group of patients who were closely matched for grade and stage of renal cell cancer underwent traditional transabdominal radical nephrectomy during the same time interval and had rates of nonprogression and survival similar to those of the conservative surgical group. Thus, in selected patients with low-grade, low-stage renal cell cancer, conservative surgical treatment (that is, renal parenchyma-saving procedures) can produce favorable results without the side effects (such as renal failure) associated with ablative renal operations.