Objective: To compare the results in patients operated by partial nephrectomy (PN) and radical nephrectomy (RN) for renal cancers < 4 cm, between 4 and 7 cm and > 7 cm.
Materials and methods: Retrospective study including 107 patients operated for renal cancer between 1998 and 2004. Demographic characteristics, TNM stage, tumour diameter and type of surgery (PN vs RN) were recorded. The patients' current status was determined and a survival curve was constructed by the Kaplan-Meier method.
Results: 35.2% patients were operated by PN and 64.8% were operated by RN. The mean follow-up was 45 months. No significant difference in recurrence-free survival rate was observed between patients operated by PN and RN for tumours < 4 cm (93.3% vs 92.3%, respectively, p = 0.243), or for tumours between 4 and 7 cm (100% vs 89.3%, respectively, p = 0.564) or for tumours > 7 cm (100% vs 85.5%, respectively, p = 0.218).
Conclusion: Partial nephrectomy is the standard treatment for tumours < 4 cm, but this study suggests that it is just as effective for tumours up to 7 cm in diameter. Although partial nephrectomy also appears to be a safe treatment for tumours > 7 cm, further studies based on a greater number of tumours in this size category with a longer follow-up are necessary.