Ablation of kidney tumors

While surgical excision remains the gold standard for curative treatment of small renal cell carcinomas, ablative therapy has a place as a minimally invasive, kidney function-preserving therapy in carefully selected patients who are poor candidates for surgery. Although laparoscopic cryoablation and percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are commonly performed, percutaneous cryoablation and laparoscopic RFA are reportedly being performed with increasing frequency. The renal function and complication profiles following ablative therapy are favorable, while oncologic outcomes lag behind those of surgery, thus reinforcing the need for careful patient selection.