Role of Active Surveillance for Localized Small Renal Masses

Context: Stage migration of organ-confined renal masses is occurring as a result of incidental diagnosis, especially in the elderly. Active surveillance (AS) is gaining clinical traction as a treatment alternative to surgery and focal therapy.

Objective: To assess contemporary data and evaluate AS risk trade-offs in the treatment of organ-confined kidney cancer.

Evidence acquisition: A comprehensive search of the Embase, Medline and Cochrane databases was carried out. A systematic review of the role of AS for organ-confined renal masses was performed. A total of 28 studies were included in the systematic review.

Evidence synthesis: The median linear tumor growth rate for clinically localized renal masses (CLRMs) was 0.37cm/yr (interquartile range 0.15-0.7), with 0.22cm/yr in the cT1a subgroup and 0.45cm/yr in the cT1b--2 subgroup. The metastatic progression rate was 1-6% and was similar for cT1a (1-6%) and cT1b (0-5%); other-cause mortality for patients with CLRMs was 0-45% (1-25% for cT1a vs 11-13% for cT1b-2); cancer-specific mortality ranged between 0% and 18%. According to the 2011 Oxford scale, AS as a treatment option for CLRMs remains supported by level 3 evidence.

Conclusions: Although no randomized clinical data are available, current data support oncologic safety for AS in the management of CLRMs, particularly for small renal masses and among elderly and/or comorbid patients.

Patient summary: In this review we looked at the outcomes for patients with small kidney masses managed with surveillance. We found that surveillance is a safe initial option for tumors of less than 2cm, especially in elderly and sick patients.