Percutaneous cryoablation of solitary sporadic renal cell carcinomas

OBJECTIVE • To evaluate retrospectively our single institution experience with percutaneous cryoablation of solitary, sporadic renal cell carcinomas (RCCs), and to compare the efficacy and safety of this technique for treatment of different T-stage RCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS • 116 patients were treated with percutaneous cryoablation for a solitary, sporadic biopsy-proven RCC in a single treatment session between November 2003 and November 2010. • The technical success of the ablation procedure, complications and evidence for local or metastatic tumour recurrence were evaluated for each patient. RESULTS • 83 patients (72%) were treated for a stage T1a RCC, 27 patients (23%) for a stage T1b RCC, and six patients (5%) for a stage T2 RCC. • Technical success was achieved in the treatment of 115 of 116 (99%) renal tumours. The single technical failure occurred in the treatment of a 4.3-cm RCC. • Local recurrent tumour was identified in one of 88 patients (1%) with follow-up computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging available for review > 3 months from the time of ablation. The median (range) imaging follow-up in these patients was 21 (3 - 73) months. The local tumour recurrence was identified on CT 11 months after the ablation procedure in a patient treated for a 2.7 cm RCC. • None of the patients developed metastatic RCC. • The major complication rate was 4% for patients with stage T1a tumours, 15% for those with stage T1b tumours, and 33% for those with stage T2 tumours. There were no procedural-related deaths. CONCLUSIONS • Percutaneous renal cryoablation of RCC can be performed with high technical success in patients with tumours up to, and beyond 7 cm in maximum diameter. • The tumour recurrence rate after percutaneous renal cryoablation was low, and recurrence was not related to tumour size in this group of patients. • Statistically significant higher complication rates were seen with treatment of larger (higher T-stage) RCCs.