The rationale for CN was initially founded on early reports of spontaneous regression of metastases after nephrectomy alone in up to 7% of cases. 7 The actual incidence of spontaneous regression of RCC is unknown, since the denominator is rarely specified in these reports. In 1982, Snow and Schellhammer 8 indicated that the incidence is less than 1% and that regression is a "fortuitous event rather than the rule." The mechanism for spontaneous regression is unclear, although immunologic factors have been implicated. Because most spontaneous regressions have been observed in the lungs, Freed and colleagues 9 postulated that this organ has a large number of macrophages and lymphocytes, and a large amount of immunoglobulin that are suppressed until the primary tumour is removed. Another immunologic theory that supports CN implies that there might be a host immune dysfunction, and poor recognition and presentation of antigens. 10 It also has been postulated that cytokines and growth factors are released by the primary tumour and promote the growth of metastases that could be avoided through surgical removal of the renal mass. Other advantages of CN are the lack of response of the primary lesion to cytokine therapy, regardless of the grade of response at metastatic sites. The removal of the source of potential new metastases and the overall debulking of the tumoral mass has also been hypothesized as a possible benefit of CN.
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Improvement of quality of lifeThe role of palliative nephrectomy is controversial. Traditional indications for it have been hematuria, pain and paraneoplastic syndromes (e.g., hypercalcemia, hypertension, fever, aneNew surgical horizons: the role of cytoreductive nephrectomy for metastatic kidney cancer
REVIEW
AbstractRenal cell carcinoma is the most lethal urologic malignancy. Up to 30% of patients with kidney cancer have metastatic disease and 30% of those treated for local or locally advanced disease will progress to metastases. Radical nephrectomy is the standard treatment for the management of nondisseminated kidney cancer, but the role of cytoreductive nephrectomy for patients with metastatic disease is controversial. In this paper, the rationale for cytoreductive nephrectomy is described and the currently available evidence for and against it is evaluated. The different approaches to defining prognostic factors to select which patients will benefit from cytoreductive nephrectomy will also be described. Finally, the role of cytoreductive nephrectomy in the era of new targeted therapies is discussed.