Novel concepts in the treatment of localized renal cell carcinoma

The understanding of renal cell carcinoma has undergone significant advances in the past several years. These have included advances in imaging procedures and surgical approaches, allowing for more precise staging, and individualized approaches to therapy. Furthermore, there has been an increase in the diagnosis of incidental tumors and currently the majority of RCCs are incidentally diagnosed on routine imaging procedures. In this manuscript, we review the surgical options for renal cell carcinoma with specific emphasis on the algorithm for approaching these tumors, in order to ensure maximal cancer specific survival, without threatening the overall renal function