Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: The role of surgery in the treatment algorithm

Abstract

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a life threatening disease, the most lethal among urinary tract tumors. It accounts for about 2-3% of adult solid malignancies, with a reported worldwide annual increase of 1.5-5.5%. Surgical intervention is the primary treatment for early-stage RCC, however nephrectomy alone offers limited benefit in patients with metastatic disease, except for palliative reasons. The aim of this review is to study the role of surgical intervention in the treatment algorithm of metastatic renal cell carcinoma.