Lymph node dissection during cytoreductive nephrectomy: a retrospective analysis

Therapeutic options for different metastatic sites arising from renal cell carcinoma: A review

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) stands among the top 10 malignant neoplasms with the highest fatality rates. It exhibits pronounced heterogeneity and robust metastatic behavior. Patients with RCC may present with solitary or multiple metastatic lesions at various anatomical sites, and their prognoses are contingent upon the site of metastasis. When deliberating the optimal therapeutic approach for a patient, thorough evaluation of significant risk factors such as the feasibility of complete resection, the presence of oligometastases, and the patient's functional and physical condition is imperative. Recognizing the nuanced differences in RCC metastasis to distinct organs proves advantageous in contemplating potential treatment modalities aimed at optimizing survival outcomes. Moreover, discerning the metastatic site holds promise for enhancing risk stratification in individuals with metastatic RCC. This review summarizes the recent data pertaining to the current status of different RCC metastatic sites and elucidates their role in informing clinical management strategies across diverse metastatic locales of RCC.

Prognostic Significance of Pathologic Lymph Node Invasion in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma in the Immunotherapy Era

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to test the prognostic significance of pathologically confirmed lymph node invasion in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients in this immunotherapy era.

METHODS

Surgically treated mRCC patients were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2010 and 2018. Kaplan-Meier plots and multivariable Cox-regression models were fitted to test for differences in cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and overall mortality (OM) according to N stage (pN0 vs pN1 vs. pNx). Subgroup analyses addressing pN1 patients tested for CSM and OM differences according to postoperative systemic therapy status.

RESULTS

Overall, 3149 surgically treated mRCC patients were identified. Of these patients, 443 (14%) were labeled as pN1, 812 (26%) as pN0, and 1894 (60%) as pNx. In Kaplan-Meier analyses, the median CSM-free survival was 15 months for pN1 versus 40 months for pN0 versus 35 months for pNx (P < 0.001). In multivariable Cox regression analyses, pN1 independently predicted higher CSM (hazard ratio [HR], 1.88; P < 0.01) and OM (HR, 1.95; P < 0.01) relative to pN0. In sensitivity analyses addressing pN1 patients, postoperative systemic therapy use independently predicted lower CSM (HR, 0.73; P < 0.01) and OM (HR, 0.71; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Pathologically confirmed lymph node invasion independently predicted higher CSM and OM for surgically treated mRCC patients. For pN1 mRCC patients, use of postoperative systemic therapy was associated with lower CSM and OM. Consequently, N stage should be considered for individual patient counseling and clinical decision-making. Consort diagram of the study population.

Potential benefit of lymph node dissection during radical nephrectomy for kidney cancer: A review and critical analysis of current literature

Objective

The role of lymph node dissection (LND) is still controversial in patients with renal cell carcinoma undergoing surgery. We aimed to provide a comprehensive review of the literature about the effect of LND on survival, prognosis, surgical outcomes, as well as patient selection and available LND templates.

Methods

Recent literature (from January 2011 to December 2021) was assessed through PubMed and MEDLINE databases. A narrative review of most relevant articles was provided.

Results

The frequencies in which LNDs are being carried out are decreasing due to an increase in minimally invasive and nephron sparing surgery. Moreover, randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses failed to show any survival advantage of LND versus no LND. However, retrospective studies suggest a survival benefit of LND in high-risk patients (bulky tumors, T3-4 stage, and cN1 patients). Moreover, extended LND might provide important staging information, which could be of interest for adjuvant treatment planning.

Conclusion

No level 1 evidence of any survival advantage deriving from LND is currently available in literature. Thus, the role of LND is limited to staging purposes. However, low grade evidence suggests a possible role of LND in high-risk patients. Randomized clinical trials are warranted to corroborate these findings.

Characteristics and Outcome of Children with Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Narrative Review

Pediatric renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a rare type of kidney cancer, most commonly occurring in teenagers and young adolescents. Few relatively large series of pediatric RCC have been reported. Knowledge of clinical characteristics, outcome and treatment strategies are often based on the more frequently occurring adult types of RCC. However, published pediatric data suggest that clinical, molecular and histological characteristics of pediatric RCC differ from adult RCC. This paper summarizes reported series consisting of ≥10 RCC pediatric patients in order to create an up-to-date overview of the clinical and histopathological characteristics, treatment and outcome of pediatric RCC patients.

The Role of Lymphadenectomy in Patients with Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma

The role of lymph node dissection (LND) in the management of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is controversial. LND serves an indisputable staging role by providing pathologic nodal stage. However, while earlier observational studies had suggested a survival benefit to LND, more recent observational evidence and a randomized trial do not support a survival benefit. The majority of patients with isolated lymph node involvement appear to harbor occult metastatic disease. Still, LND is not associated with increased perioperative morbidity when performed in experienced centers. LND may therefore play a predominantly staging role in patients at increased risk of lymph node metastases.

Emulating Target Clinical Trials of Radical Nephrectomy With or Without Lymph Node Dissection for Renal Cell Carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To emulate two target clinical trials of radical nephrectomy (RN) with lymph node dissection (LND) vs radical nephrectomy alone.

METHODS

Using the National Cancer Database, we separately emulated an index trial of patients with cT1-3cN0cM0 renal cell carcinoma (RCC), designed to resemble EORTC 30881 ("index trial emulation"), and a hypothetical trial of patients at increased risk for lymph node metastases with cT1-4cN0-1cM0 RCC ("high-risk trial emulation"). A propensity score for LND was estimated using preoperative features (Model 1) or preoperative and pathologic features (Model 2). The associations of LND with overall survival (OS) were estimated using Cox regression with stabilized inverse probability weights.

RESULTS

A total of 67,388 patients were included in the index trial emulation. Median follow-up was 49.2 (interquartile range 27.2-74.3) months. LND was not associated with improved OS when adjusting using either Model 1 (hazard ratio [HR] 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20-1.33; P <.0001) or Model 2 (HR 1.13; 95% CI 1.07-1.20; P <.0001). A total of 69,477 patients were included in the high-risk trial emulation. Median follow-up was 48.6 (interquartile range 26.6-73.8) months. LND was not associated with improved OS when adjusting using either Model 1 (HR 1.24; 95% CI 1.18-1.30; P <.0001) or Model 2 (HR 1.09; 95% CI 1.04-1.16; P = .001). In sensitivity analyses, LND was not associated with improved OS across cN stage, pT stage, tumor grade, histologic subtype, or probability of pN1 disease.

CONCLUSION

In observational analyses, that emulate target trials representing EORTC 30881 and a trial of LND in high-risk RCC, LND was not associated with improved OS.

Adverse Effect of Lymph Node Dissection in Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer Patients Treated with Cytoreductive Nephrectomy: A Contemporary Analysis of Survival

Background and objectives: In patients with metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC), cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) may occasionally be performed. However, the role of lymph node dissection (LND) for such cases is unknown in era of target therapy. To test the effect of LND at CN on cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS) in era of target therapy compared with no LND in patients with mRCC. Methods: A total of 4690 mRCC patients treated with CN were identified within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database (2006-2015). Survival differences were assessed by Kaplan-Meier estimate and compared using log-rank test. Multivariable Cox regression analysis (MCR) was used to evaluate the effect of LND on CSS and OS. Results: Within the SEER database, 1902 (40.6%) of 4690 mRCC patients underwent LND at CN. MCR analysis showed that LND at CN exhibited lower CSS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-1.27; p < 0.01) and OS (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.05-1.21; p < 0.01) compared with non-LND in mRCC patients. The adverse effect of LND on CSS and OS were also detected in metastatic patients with clear cell RCC (ccRCC) and non-ccRCC (all p<0.0001). Additionally, the association of number of resected node with CSS (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.88-1.10; p = 0.68) and OS (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.89-1.11; p = 0.93) were not observed in MCR analysis. Conclusion: We are the first to demonstrate that LND at CN is associated with poor CSS and OS in metastatic patients with ccRCC and non-ccRCC. Considering that the current study is retrospective, these findings' impact on clinical practice needs to be further verified in future validation studies.

Radical Nephrectomy with or without Lymph Node Dissection for pT3 Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Propensity Score-based Analysis

Objectives: To study whether radical nephrectomy (RN) with lymph node dissection (LND) can benefit pT3 renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients versus no LND under the 2018 American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM classification system.

Subjects/Patients and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of clinicopathological data for 245 T3 RCC patients, who underwent radical nephrectomy between January 2006 and December 2013 at our center, including 67 (27.1%) who underwent LND. The relationships between the LND and progression-free survival (PFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using 1:1 propensity score (PS) matching. Then, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were conducted to study whether these patients can benefit from LND. Depending on the LND number, we divided the cohort into two groups for further comparation. At last, we validated the results with the TCGA database KIRC patients.

Results: The median follow-up time was 4.9 years. Sixty-seven pairs of patients were screened by the PS and were further analyzed. We conducted a Cox regression with the survival data and found that the LND group, compared with the non-LND group, showed no survival benefit on PFS, CSS, and OS (p = 0.444, 0.809, and 0.816, respectively). However, the removal of 5 or more LNs showed negative effect on OS (p = 0.0387). TCGA cohort results are mostly consistent with our findings.

Conclusion: RN with LND cannot improve the PFS, CSS, or OS for pT3 renal cell carcinoma patients.

Templates of Lymph Node Dissection for Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Background: The role of lymph node dissection (LND) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is controversial. Notably, the conflicting evidence on the benefits and harms of LND is inherently linked to the lack of consensus on both anatomic templates and extent of lymphadenectomy. Herein, we provide a detailed overview of the most commonly dissected templates of LND for RCC, focusing on key anatomic landmarks and patterns of lymphatic drainage.

Methods: A systematic review of the English-language literature was performed without time filters in July 2018 in accordance to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement recommendations. The primary endpoint was to summarize the most commonly dissected templates of LND according to the side of RCC.

Results: Overall, 25 studies were selected for qualitative analysis. Of these, most were retrospective. The LND template was heterogeneous across studies. Indications and extent of LND were either not reported or not standardized in most series. The most commonly dissected template for right-sided tumors included hilar, paracaval, and precaval nodes, with few authors extending the dissection to the inter-aortocaval, retrocaval, common iliac or pre/paraaortic nodes. Similarly, the most commonly dissected template for left-sided tumors encompassed the renal hilar, preaortic and paraaortic nodes, with few authors reporting a systematic dissection of inter-aortocaval, retro-aortic, common iliac, or para-caval nodes.

Conclusions: In light of the unpredictable renal lymphatic anatomy and the evidence from available prospective mapping studies, the extent of the most commonly dissected templates might be insufficient to catch the overall anatomic pattern of lymphatic drainage from RCC.

Surgical Management of Advanced Kidney Cancer: The Role of Cytoreductive Nephrectomy and Lymphadenectomy

Despite the evolution of systemic therapy from the immunotherapy to targeted therapy eras, surgical management remains a mainstay of treatment of patients with locally advanced, lymph node-positive, and distant metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Balancing patient and disease characteristics with the potential morbidity of surgery has gained increasing attention to better define the role of cytoreductive nephrectomy and lymphadenectomy. In this review, we critically evaluate the literature for the potential therapeutic role of cytoreductive nephrectomy and lymphadenectomy in advanced kidney cancer, highlighting current evidence, limitations, and best-management practices. Although retrospective data supported a similar survival benefit for cytoreductive nephrectomy in the targeted therapy era as it did for the initial immunotherapy era (1992 to 2006), level 1 evidence from the randomized Clinical Trial to Assess the Importance of Nephrectomy (CARMENA) demonstrated no benefit for intermediate- and poor-risk patients in the setting of sunitinib therapy. Level 1 evidence among a favorable-risk subset is still awaited from the trial Targeted Therapy With or Without Nephrectomy in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: Liquid Biopsy for Biomarkers Discovery (TARIBO). Another trial, Immediate Surgery or Surgery After Sunitinib Malate in Treating Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer (SURTIME), has compared upfront cytoreductive nephrectomy prior to targeted therapy with the initial initiation of targeted therapy followed by deferred cytoreductive nephrectomy. Lymphadenectomy is yet another controversial but less well-defined management option for patients with kidney cancer. The role of lymphadenectomy has been studied in both the localized and advanced settings over the past few decades, with a strong suggestion of no therapeutic benefit for patients with cT1-2N0M0 and cM1 disease, and with uncertain benefit in patients with high-risk disease (ie, locally advanced or cN1M0), leading to weak statements among clinical guidelines.

The contemporary role of lymph node dissection in the management of renal cell carcinoma

The appropriate role of lymph node dissection (LND) in the management of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is still a matter of debate. There is ample evidence that LND is the most accurate modality for staging the regional lymph nodes (LNs), which may harbor metastatic disease in greater than one-third of patients with high-risk RCC. The presence of LN metastases is an independent negative prognostic factor in this disease and accurate determination of LN status not only helps with patient counselling regarding prognosis and tailoring of postoperative surveillance schedules, but it also identifies patients at high risk of systemic disease recurrence who may qualify for clinical trials of adjuvant systemic therapies. Meanwhile, the therapeutic value of LND has been brought into question by a randomized trial (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer; EORTC 30881) that showed no difference in progression-free or overall survival between patients who were treated with radical nephrectomy (RN) and LND and those treated with RN alone. Given that most patients enrolled in this trial had small renal masses and therefore were at low risk for LN metastases, the question of whether patients with high-risk tumors derive a therapeutic benefit from a standardized, extended LND remains unanswered.

Surveillance following surgery for nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma

PURPOSE OF REVEIW

Approximately one in three patients with nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at the time of surgery will subsequently develop local or metastatic recurrence. The purpose of this review is to examine the current rationale for surveillance, describe sites of RCC metastasis, evaluate the existing guidelines for postsurgical follow-up studies, and analyze the risk stratification systems following RCC surgery.

RECENT FINDINGS

Although 75% of recurrences will be identified during the first 5 years following surgery, late recurrences are not uncommon. The risk of recurrence can be predicted from the tumor stage, grade, and other pathologic features. Advanced risk stratification will likely be possible in the future with increased use of molecular classification and serum biomarkers. Patient comorbidities, age, and individual recurrence risk should also be considered when designing individualized surveillance protocols.

SUMMARY

Follow-up after surgery for RCC should focus on imaging of the chest and abdomen to detect common sites of recurrence. Patients should be stratified for risk, and surveillance imaging should be more frequent and intensive in healthy patients with higher risk. Future research is needed to define an optimal individualized surveillance strategy that balances the potential benefits of early cancer detection with the risks and cost of surveillance.

The role of lymph node dissection in the management of renal cell carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Our objective was to evaluate the role of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (LND) in non-metastatic (M0) and metastatic (M1) renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We searched Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science and Scopus from database inception to 29 August 2017 for studies of patients who underwent partial or radical nephrectomy for M0 or M1 RCC. Two investigators independently selected studies for inclusion. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale, Cochrane Collaboration tool and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Quality Assessment Tool. Random effects meta-analysis was performed for all-cause-mortality. The GRADE approach was used to characterize quality of evidence. A total of 51 unique studies were included in the qualitative systematic review. Risk of bias was low in 41/51 (80%) studies. LND was not associated with all-cause mortality in either M0 (hazard ratio [HR] 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92-1.12; I² = 0%; four studies), M1 (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.83-1.29; I² = 0%; two studies), or pooled M0 and M1 settings (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.92-1.09; I² = 0%; seven studies), with no statistically significant differences according to M stage subgroups (P = 0.50). In the three studies that examined M0 subgroups with a high risk of nodal metastasis, LND was not associated with improved oncological outcomes. Studies on the association of extent of LND with survival reported inconsistent results. Meanwhile, a small proportion of patients with pN1M0 disease demonstrate durable long-term oncological control after surgery, with 10-year cancer-specific survival of 21-31%. Nodal involvement is independently associated with adverse prognosis in both M0 and M1 settings. GRADE quality of evidence was moderate or low for the outcomes examined. Although LND yields independent prognostic information, the existing literature does not support a therapeutic benefit to LND in either M0 or M1 RCC. High-risk M0 patient groups warrant further study, as a subset of patients with isolated nodal metastases experience long-term survival after surgical resection.

Perioperative Morbidity of Lymph Node Dissection for Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Propensity Score-based Analysis

BACKGROUND

There are little data regarding the morbidity of lymph node dissection (LND) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) to assess its risk-benefit ratio.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association of LND with 30-d complications among patients undergoing radical nephrectomy (RN) for RCC.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A total of 2066 patients underwent RN for M0 or M1 RCC between 1990 and 2010, of whom 774 (37%) underwent LND.

INTERVENTION

RN with or without LND.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Associations of LND with 30-d complications were examined using logistic regression with several propensity score techniques. Extended LND, defined as removal of ≥13 lymph nodes, was examined in a sensitivity analysis.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

A total of 184 (9%) patients were pN1 and 302 (15%) were M1. Thirty-day complications occurred in 194 (9%) patients, including Clavien grade ≥3 complications in 81 (4%) patients. Clinicopathologic features were well balanced after propensity score adjustment. In the overall cohort, LND was not statistically significantly associated with Clavien grade ≥3 complications, although there was an approximately 40% increased risk of any Clavien grade complication that did not reach statistical significance. Likewise, LND was not significantly associated with any Clavien grade or Clavien grade ≥3 complications when separately evaluated among M0 or M1 patients. Extended LND was not significantly associated with any Clavien grade or Clavien grade ≥3 complications. LND was not associated with length of stay or estimated blood loss. Limitations include a retrospective design.

CONCLUSIONS

LND is not significantly associated with an increased risk of Clavien grade ≥3 complications, although it may be associated with a modestly increased risk of minor complications. In the absence of increased morbidity, LND may be justified in a predominantly staging role in the management of RCC.

PATIENT SUMMARY

Lymph node dissection for renal cell carcinoma is not associated with increased rates of major complications.

Overall survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma and clinical N1 disease undergoing cytoreductive nephrectomy and lymph node dissection

BACKGROUND

Patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) have limited treatment options. Cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) in select patients has been associated with improved survival. We aim to assess the survival in patients with mRCC and cN1 disease who underwent CN with and without lymph node dissection (LND).

METHODS

Data were abstracted from the National Cancer Database for patients diagnosed with mRCC and cN1 from 2003 to 2014. Using propensity matching, we compared overall survival (OS) in patients who underwent a LND. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling were used. We performed a logistic regression to assess predictors of LND.

RESULTS

We identified 1,780 patients in the matched cohort, of which 71% underwent a LND. Patients undergoing LND were younger (P = 0.01) and had similar size tumors (5cm; P = 0.31). Increased LN yield was associated with LND at an academic center (odds ratio = 1.91; 95% CI: 1.51-2.42; P<0.01). LND was associated with worse OS on KM analysis (log rank; P = 0.01). However, on multivariable analysis, we found no significant difference in OS (hazard ratio = 1.10; 95% CI: 0.94-1.29; P = 0.22). However, when adjusting for number of positive LN removed, an increase in LN yield was associated with improved OS (hazard ratio = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.95-0.99; P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

We demonstrate that patients with mRCC and cN1 disease undergoing LND did not have a survival benefit when compared with patients undergoing CN. However, lymph node yield showed an increase in survival when adjusting for the number of positive lymph nodes. Further research and validation of the ideal number of LN removed that may benefit patients is warranted.

Pathologic Predictors of Survival During Lymph Node Dissection for Metastatic Renal-Cell Carcinoma: Results From a Multicenter Collaboration

PURPOSE

To determine the therapeutic value of lymph node dissection (LND) during cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) and assess predictors of cancer-specific survival (CSS) in metastatic renal-cell carcinoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We identified 293 consecutive patients treated with CN at 4 academic institutions from March 2000 to May 2015. LND was performed in 187 patients (63.8%). CSS was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method for the entire cohort and for a propensity score-matched cohort. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate CSS in a multivariate model and in an inverse probability weighting-adjusted model for patients who underwent dissection.

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 12.6 months (interquartile range, 4.47, 30.3), and median survival was 15.9 months. Of the 293 patients, 187 (63.8%) underwent LND. One hundred six patients had nodal involvement (pN+) with a median CSS of 11.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.6, 15.9) versus 24.2 months (95% confidence interval, 14.1, 34.3) for pN- patients (log-rank P = .002). The hazard ratio for LND was 1.325 (95% CI, 1.002, 1.75) for the whole cohort and 1.024 (95% CI, 0.682, 1.537) in the propensity score-matched cohort. Multivariate analysis revealed that number of positive lymph nodes (P < .001) was a significant predictor of worse CSS.

CONCLUSION

For patients with metastatic renal-cell carcinoma undergoing CN with lymphadenectomy, the number of nodes positive was predictive of survival at short-term follow-up. However, nonstandardized lymphadenectomy only provided prognostic information without therapeutic benefit. Prospective studies with standardized templates are required to further ascertain the therapeutic value of LND.

Cytoreductive nephrectomy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma in the era of targeted therapy: a bibliographic review

PURPOSE

To evaluate the role of cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), against a background of lack of evidence following the introduction of targeted therapy.

METHODS

A literature review was performed in January 2017 using the MEDLINE/PubMed and EMBASE databases. The PRISMA guidelines were followed for conduct of the study. Two authors independently screened the 270 papers retrieved from the search, and the finally selected publications were identified by consensus between the two reviewers. A total of 55 studies were included in the present review.

RESULTS

Globally, the indications for CN have decreased over recent years. Although current guidelines consider CN an adequate option in selected patients based on prospective studies in the cytokine era, evidence for CN in the era of targeted therapy is based on retrospective studies only.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of ongoing prospective studies are still awaited. Retrospective data suggest that young male patients with oligometastatic disease and a good performance status can be considered suitable surgical candidates who may benefit from CN.

Mortality trends and the impact of lymphadenectomy on survival for renal cell carcinoma patients with distant metastasis

INTRODUCTION

Current treatment paradigms for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) invoke a combination of surgical and systemic therapies. We sought to quantify trends in mortality and performance of lymphadenectomy, as well as impact on survival for patients with mRCC.

METHODS

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry (SEER) (1988-2011) identified patients with mRCC. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models with competing risks regression were employed to assess survival.

RESULTS

15 060 patients with mRCC were identified, with 6316 (41.9%) undergoing cytoreductive nephrectomy. Mean number of lymph nodes removed was 6.2, with mean 3.3 positive nodes among 1018 (43.9%) patients with positive nodes. Median overall survival (OS) increased from seven to 11 months (1999-2010), and finding a positive node decreased median cancer survival from 22 to nine months. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) showed significant decreases in mortality after 2005 (hazard ratio [HR] 0.71 [0.60-0.83] comparing 2010 to 1990). Lymphadenectomy was associated with decreased OS (HR 1.10 [1.03-1.16]; p=0.002) due to decreased CSS (HR 1.10 [1.04-1.17]; p<0.001) without increase in other-cause mortality (HR 0.94 [0.79-1.11]; p=0.455). However, more extensive lymphadenectomy ≥3 lymph nodes removed did not significantly impact OS or CSS. Number of positive lymph nodes was associated with decreased CSS.

CONCLUSIONS

mRCC continues to carry a poor prognosis, but current treatment paradigms have led to modest improvements in OS and CSS in recent years. Lymphadenectomy was found to play a prognostic rather than therapeutic role in the management of mRCC. The performance of lymphadenectomy should be limited based on clinical judgment and better incorporated into randomized trials of new systemic therapies to identify scenarios where implementation may improve survival.