Nephrectomy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a component of systemic treatment regimens.

New immunotherapeutic and chemotherapeutic regimens have altered the medical approach to metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Surgery for metastatic RCC needs to be reappraised in the context of these developments. We retrospectively examined the course of 25 patients with metastatic RCC who underwent nephrectomy or resection of renal fossa recurrences as an adjunct to intended systemic therapy. Four patients (16%) had complications and there was no perioperative mortality. Of 23 patients who had surgery first, 17 received subsequent systemic therapy and 2 experienced a response. Two patients underwent nephrectomy after achieving a partial response with systemic therapy. Overall, 3 patients (12%) are alive without detectable disease, 8 (32%) are alive with disease, and 14 (56%) are dead of disease, with a median survival of 23.5 months. Nephrectomy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma may be associated with less morbidity and mortality than previously reported. When initial nephrectomy is performed, most patients go on to receive systemic therapy. Within the context of a systemic treatment regimen, nephrectomy continues to play a role in the management of selected patients with metastatic RCC.