Cryoablation for renal cell cancer – pro

Cryoablation is not  well supported by the medical literature for renal cell cancer. There are mostly case reprots adns eries, although soem of tehm are large and there are no comparative tirals. The procedure has some theoretical disadvantages. For one, it leaves no pathology, so that prognostication becomes difficult. Other limitations of percutaneous cryoablation include the inability to control hemorrhage without intra-arterial access and a lack of long-term follow-up data. Perioperative complications and renal functional outcomes of laparoscopic cryoablation and open partial nephrectomy are similar; however, laparoscopic cryoablation confers a substantially higher local recurrence risk of about 15% after 3 years. There are no formal guidelines but some experts believe that laparoscopic renal cryoablation should be reserved for high risk patients with decreased life expectancy.

Brian C. Allen, and Erick M. Remer, Percutaneous Cryoablation of Renal Tumors: Patient Selection, Technique, and Postprocedural Imaging July 2010 RadioGraphics, 30, 887-900.

Tracy CR, Raman JD, Donnally C, et al. Durable oncologic outcomes after radiofrequency ablation: experience from treating 243 small renal masses over 7.5 years. Cancer 2010; 116:3135.

Stein RJ, Kaouk JH. Renal cryotherapy: a detailed review including a 5-year follow-up. BJU Int 2007; 99:1265.

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