Crioablación percutánea de tumores renales cT1 como alternativa al tratamiento quirúrgico / Percutaneous cryoablation of cT1 kidney tumors as alternative to surgical treatment

Resumen El cáncer renal representa el 3 al 4% de todas las lesiones malignas y su detección incidental es cada vez más frecuente. Para los tumores renales cT1a la cirugía es el tratamiento de elección. No todos los pacientes son candidatos a este tipo de tratamiento por elevado riesgo quirúrgico debido a comorbi lidades asociadas o antecedentes de cirugía en dicho órgano. Las guías de la Asociación Americana de Urología recomiendan la termoablación como alternativa a la cirugía en tumores menores a 3 cm. La experiencia con crioablación percutánea en tumores renales es escasa en Latinoamérica y hay pocas publicaciones al respecto en esta región. El objetivo de este trabajo fue describir la efectividad y seguridad de la crioablación percutánea en una cohorte de pacientes adultos con cáncer renal cT1 (menores a 5 cm) como alternativa al tratamiento quirúrgico. Los procedimientos fueron realizados con guía de tomografía computarizada o con un angiógrafo, en condiciones estériles y bajo anestesia general. Los pacientes fueron tratados en condiciones ambulatorias. El seguimiento se realizó con estudios por imágenes, análisis de laboratorio y consulta clínica. Todos tuvieron una respuesta completa constatada por imágenes en los controles evolutivos. El 61% no tuvo complicaciones y en el resto se observaron complicaciones grado 1 como hematuria, retención urinaria y hematoma perirrenal. Se concluyó que la crioablación percutánea es segura y efectiva como alternativa a la cirugía en pacientes con tumores renales.

Abstract Renal cancer represents 3-4% of all malignancies. Its incidental detection is becoming more frequent. Surgery is the gold standard treatment for T1 renal cancer. Still, surgery is not suitable for every patient due to comorbidities or previous kidney surgery. Guidelines provided by The American Urological Association recommend thermoablation therapies as an alternative to surgery in tumors under 3 cm. Experience regarding percutaneous cryoablation in renal tumors is scarce in Latin America and there are only a handful of publications in this region regarding this subject. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness and security of percutaneous cryoablation in a cohort of adult patients with cT1 renal cancer (smaller than 5 cm) as an alternative to surgery. The procedures were performed with CT or Cone Beam CT guidance and under general anesthesia in sterile conditions. Cryoablation was carried out on an outpatient basis. Follow up was done with imaging studies, blood test and clinical consultation. All patients had complete response in imaging studies. There were no complications in 61% of all of them, the remaining patients suffered grade-1 complications such as hematuria, urinary reten tion and perirenal hematoma. In conclusion, percutaneous cryoablation for renal tumors is a safe and effective alternative to surgery.

Characteristics and Surgical Outcomes in Very Elderly Patients (≥75 years) with Renal Cell Carcinoma: Data from the Latin American Renal Cancer Group

Background: The incidence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is increasing globally due to an aging population and widespread use of imaging studies. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics and perioperative outcomes of RCC surgery in very elderly patients (VEP), ≥75 years of age. Methods: This is a retrospective comparative study of 3656 patients who underwent the treatment for RCC from 1990 to 2015 in 28 centers from eight Latin American countries. We compared baseline characteristics as well as clinical and perioperative outcomes according to age groups (<75 vs.≥ 75 years). Surgical complications were classified with the Clavien-Dindo score. We performed logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with perioperative complications. Results: There were 410 VEP patients (11.2%). On bivariate analysis, VEP had a lower body mass index (p < 0.01) and higher ASA score (ASA >2 in 26.3% vs. 12.4%, p < 0.01). There was no difference in performance status and clinical stage between the study groups. There were no differences in surgical margins, estimated blood loss (EBL), complication, and mortality rates (1.3% vs. 0.4%, p = 0.17). On multivariate regression analysis, age ≥75 years (odds ratio [OR] 2.33, p < 0.01), EBL ≥ 500 cc (OR 3.34, p < 0.01), and > pT2 stage (OR 1.63, p = 0.04) were independently associated with perioperative complications. Conclusions: Surgical resection of RCC was safe and successful in VEP. Age ≥75 years was independently associated with 30-day perioperative complications. However, the vast majority were low-grade complications. Age alone should not guide decision-making in these patients, and treatment must be tailored according to performance status and severity of comorbidities. (REV INVEST CLIN. 2020;72(5):308-15)