Radiofrequency Ablation in the Treatment of Renal Tumors

Abstract

As abdominal imaging machines have become more readily available and utilized, the diagnosis of asymptomatic small renal masses (SRM) has increased. These incidental tumors account for 60% of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) diagnosis and are most often found at earlier stages and/or grades [1–3]. The incidence of RCC has been found to increase roughly 2% each year [4]. Overall, RCC is the thirteenth most common cancer worldwide and 10th most common in the Western World. In 2016, it was estimated that annually 62,700 cases and 14,240 deaths occur secondary to RCC in the United States alone [5]. Worldwide RCC accounts for the diagnosis of 270,000 cases and 116,000 deaths each year [4]. Of these patients, 20–30% of patients are found to have metastatic disease. The incidence of RCC is greatest in North America, Europe, and Australia and diagnosed least frequently in India, Africa, China, and Japan. Risk factors include smoking, increased waist-to-hip-ratio, germline mutations, and occupational exposure to trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene [4]. Two to three percent of RCC cases are familial, most commonly autosomal dominant Von-Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease. Familial disease is frequently bilateral and multifocal, therefore correct diagnosis is essential for guiding treatment [4].