Robot-Assisted Radical Nephroureterectomy: A Safe and Effective Option for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma, Especially for Novice Surgeons.

BACKGROUND

Radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) is the standard treatment for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Minimally invasive techniques like robotic (RARNU) and laparoscopic (LRNU) RNU offer potential benefits over open surgery, but their comparative oncologic outcomes are debated.

METHODS

This retrospective, multicenter study analyzed 2037 Taiwanese patients undergoing RNU between 2010 and 2022. Missing data was addressed using multiple imputations. Overlap weighting was applied to balance patient characteristics between the RARNU and LRNU groups. Survival outcomes were compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression.

RESULTS

After excluding the missing data, 405 patients underwent RARNU, and 1262 underwent LRNU. After adjusting for baseline differences, both groups showed comparable rates of surgical complications, residual tumor, UTUC-related mortality, and disease recurrence. The median follow-up was similar (52.4 vs. 51.6 months, = 0.91). Using Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis, overall survival, cancer-specific survival, and disease-free survival were similar between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that RARNU for UTUC has comparable oncological and perioperative outcomes to pure LRNU. RARNU may be easier for surgeons to adopt, particularly those with limited laparoscopic experience.