Clinical Outcomes of Robotic Assisted Partial Nephrectomy for Pathologic T3a Renal Masses with Venous Tumor Thrombus

A systematic review of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy outcomes for advanced indications: Large tumors (cT2-T3), solitary kidney, completely endophytic, hilar, recurrent, and multiple renal tumors

Objective

Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) has become widely used for treatment of renal cell carcinoma and it is expanding in the field of complex renal masses. The aim of this systematic review was to analyze outcomes of RAPN for completely endophytic renal masses, large tumors (cT2-T3), renal cell carcinoma in solitary kidney, recurrent tumors, completely endophytic and hilar masses, and simultaneous and multiple tumors.

Methods

A comprehensive search in the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases was performed in December 2022 for English language papers. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the role of RAPN in the setting of each category of complex renal masses considered. The secondary endpoint was to evaluate the surgical and functional outcomes.

Results

After screening 1250 records, 43 full-text manuscripts were selected, comprising over 8500 patients. Twelve and thirteen studies reported data for endophytic and hilar renal masses, respectively. Five and three studies reported outcomes for cT2-T3 and solitary kidney patients, respectively. Four studies focused on redo-RAPN for recurrent tumors. Two studies investigated simultaneous bilateral renal masses and five reports focused on multiple tumor excision in ipsilateral kidney.

Conclusion

Over the past decade, evidence supporting the use of RAPN for the most challenging nephron-sparing surgery indications has continuously grown. Although limitations remain including study design and lack of detailed long-term functional and oncological outcomes, the adoption of RAPN for the included advanced indications is associated with favorable surgical outcomes with good preservation of renal function without compromising the oncological result. Certainly, a higher likelihood of complication might be expected when facing extremely challenging cases. However, none of these indications should be considered per se an exclusion criterion for performing RAPN. Ultimately, a risk-adapted approach should be employed.

Robotic Partial vs Radical Nephrectomy for Clinical T3a Tumors: A Narrative Review

Introduction: T3a renal masses include a diverse group of tumors that invade the perirenal and/or sinus fat, pelvicaliceal system, or renal vein. The majority of cT3a renal masses represent renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and have historically been treated with radical nephrectomy (RN) given their aggressive nature. With the adoption of minimally invasive approaches to renal surgery, the combination of improved observation, pneumoperitoneum, and robotic articulation has allowed urologists to consider partial nephrectomy (PN) for more complex tumors. Herein, we review the existing literature regarding robot-assisted PN (RAPN) and robot-assisted RN (RARN) in the management of T3a renal masses. Methods: A literature search was performed using PubMed for articles evaluating the role of RARN and RAPN for T3a renal masses. Search parameters were limited to English language studies. Applicable studies were abstracted and included in this narrative review. Results: T3a RCC caused by renal sinus fat or venous involvement is associated with ∼50% lower cancer-specific survival than those with perinephric fat invasion alone. CT and MRI can both be used to stage cT3a tumors, however, MRI is more accurate when assessing venous involvement. Upstaging to pT3a RCC during RAPN does not confer a worse prognosis than pT3a tumors treated with RARN; however, patients who undergo RAPN for T3a RCC with venous involvement have relatively higher rates of recurrence and metastasis. Intraoperative tools including drop-in ultrasound, near-infrared fluorescence, and 3D virtual models improve the ability to perform RAPN for T3a tumors. In well-selected cases, warm ischemia times remain reasonable. Conclusions: cT3a renal masses represent a diverse group of tumors. Depending on substratification of cT3a, RARN or RAPN can be employed for treatment of such masses.

Comparison of Long-term Outcomes for Young and Healthy Patients with cT1a and cT3a Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated with Partial Nephrectomy

Partial nephrectomy (PN) is recommended for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) of <4 cm. We hypothesized that there is no difference in all-cause mortality (ACM) between cT1a, cT1b, and cT3a <4 cm RCC following PN. The National Cancer Database was interrogated to identify patients aged <60 yr with a Charlson comorbidity index ≤1 diagnosed between 2004 and 2017. Cox proportional-hazard models stratified for cT stage were used to predict 10-yr ACM. A total of 30 195 patients (25 121 cT1a, 4884 cT1b, and 190 cT3a <4 cm) who underwent PN with median follow-up of 64.36 mo (interquartile range 42.91-93.77) were included. Cox analysis revealed no significant difference in 10-yr ACM between cT1a and cT3a <4 cm (hazard ratio [HR] 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58-1.90; p = 0.88). However, the cT1b group had higher ACM (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.15-1.48; p < 0.01). The positive surgical margin (PSM) rate was higher for cT3a <4 cm than for cT1a tumors (14.2% vs 6.3%; p < 0.01). However, there was no difference in 10-yr ACM rate between cT1a and cT3a <4 cm (10.9% vs 9.7%; p = 0.42). Our results suggest that PN is an option for cT3a RCC <4 cm, particularly in cases in which maximum nephron preservation is essential, such as patients with chronic kidney disease or a solitary kidney, although a higher PSM risk should be appreciated. PATIENT SUMMARY: We found that partial removal of the kidney for localized advanced kidney cancer is safe. The rate of surgical margins positive for the presence of tumor is higher in localized advanced kidney cancer than for less advanced cancers, but there was no difference in 10-year predicted mortality.