Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate follow-up strategies for active surveillance of renal masses and to assess contemporary data.
Methods
We performed a comprehensive search of electronic databases (Embase, Medline, and Cochrane). A systematic review of the follow-up protocols was carried out. A total of 20 studies were included.
Result
Our analysis highlights that most of the series used different protocols of follow-up without consistent differences in the outcomes. Most common protocol consisted in imaging and clinical evaluation at 3, 6, and 12 months and yearly thereafter. Median length of follow-up was 42 months (range 1–137). Mean age was 74 years (range 67–83). Of 2243 patients 223 (10%) died during the follow-up and 19 patients died of kidney cancer (0.8%). The growth rate was the most used parameter to evaluate disease progression eventually triggering delayed intervention. Maximal axial diameter was the most common method to evaluate growth rate. CT scan is the most used, probably because it is usually more precise than kidney ultrasound and more accessible than MRI. Performing chest X-ray at every check does not seem to alter the clinical outcome during AS.
Conclusion
The minimal cancer-specific mortality does not seem to correlate with the follow-up scheme. Outside of growth rate and initial size, imaging features to predict outcome of RCC during AS are limited. Active surveillance of SRM is a well-established treatment option. However, standardized follow-up protocols are lacking. Prospective, randomized, trials to evaluate the best follow-up strategies are pending.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
We declare that all materials and all data are available and do not involve plagiarism.
References
Finelli A, Ismaila N, Bro B et al (2017) Management of small renal masses: American society of clinical oncology clinical practice guideline. J Clin Oncol 35(6):668–680. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2016.69.9645
Volpe A (2016) The role of active surveillance of small renal masses. Int J Surg 36(Pt C):518–524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsu.2016.06.007
Kane CJ, Mallin K, Ritchey J et al (2008) Renal cell cancer stage migration: analysis of the national cancer data base. Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.23518
Chawla SN, Crispen PL, Hanlon AL et al (2006) The natural history of observed enhancing renal masses: meta-analysis and review of the world literature. J Urol. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5347(05)00148-5
Gill IS, Aron M, Gervais DA, Jewett MAS (2010) Clinical practice. Small renal mass. N Engl J Med 362(7):624–634. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMcp0910041
Smaldone MC, Kutikov A, Egleston BL et al (2012) Small renal masses progressing to metastases under active surveillance: a systematic review and pooled analysis. Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.26369
Jewett MAS, Rendon R, Lacombe L et al (2015) Canadian guidelines for the management of small renal masses (SRM). J Can Urol Assoc. https://doi.org/10.5489/cuaj.2969
Kunkle DA, Egleston BL, Uzzo RG (2008) Excise, ablate or observe: the small renal mass dilemma—a meta-analysis and review. J Urol 179(4):1227–1233; discussion 1233–1234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2007.11.047
Volpe A, Panzarella T, Rendon RA et al (2004) The natural history of incidentally detected small renal masses. Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.20025
Lamb GWA, Bromwich EJ, Vasey P, Aitchison M (2004) Management of renal masses in patients medically unsuitable for nephrectomy—natural history, complications, and outcome. Urology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2004.05.039
Haramis G, Mues AC, Rosales JC et al (2011) Natural history of renal cortical neoplasms during active surveillance with follow-up longer than 5 years. Urology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2010.09.031
Fernando HS, Duvuru S, Hawkyard SJ (2007) Conservative management of renal masses in the elderly: our experience. Int Urol Nephrol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-006-9119-0
Uzosike AC, Patel HD, Alam R et al (2018) Growth kinetics of small renal masses on active surveillance: variability and results from the DISSRM registry. J Urol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2017.09.087
Li XS, Yao L, Gong K et al (2012) Growth pattern of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in patients with delayed surgical intervention. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-011-1083-0
Crispen PL, Viterbo R, Fox EB et al (2008) Delayed intervention of sporadic renal masses undergoing active surveillance. Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.23268
Liaw CW, Winoker JS, Mehrazin R (2018) Imaging protocols for active surveillance in renal cell carcinoma. Curr Urol Rep 19(10):81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11934-018-0830-z
Celtik KE, Shah PH, Patel VR et al (2017) Active surveillance for incidental renal mass in the octogenarian. World J Urol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-016-1961-9
Lee SW, Sung HH, Jeon HG et al (2016) Size and volumetric growth kinetics of renal masses in patients with renal cell carcinoma. Urology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2015.10.051
Mason RJ, Abdolell M, Trottier G et al (2011) Growth kinetics of renal masses: analysis of a prospective cohort of patients undergoing active surveillance. Eur Urol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2011.02.023
Pierorazio PM, Johnson MH, Ball MW et al (2015) Five-year analysis of a multi-institutional prospective clinical trial of delayed intervention and surveillance for small renal masses: the DISSRM registry. Eur Urol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2015.02.001
Finelli A, Cheung DC, Al-Matar A et al (2020) Small renal mass surveillance: histology-specific growth rates in a biopsy-characterized cohort. Eur Urol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2020.06.053
Diaz de Leon A, Pedrosa I (2017) Imaging and screening of kidney cancer. Radiol Clin North Am 55(6):1235–1250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcl.2017.06.007
Donat SM, Diaz M, Bishoff JT et al (2013) Follow-up for clinically localized renal neoplasms: AUA guideline. J Urol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2013.04.121
Crispen PL, Viterbo R, Boorjian SA et al (2009) Natural history, growth kinetics, and outcomes of untreated clinically localized renal tumors under active surveillance. Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.24338
Rosales JC, Haramis G, Moreno J et al (2010) Active surveillance for renal cortical neoplasms. J Urol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2010.01.024
Kouba E, Smith A, McRackan D et al (2007) Watchful waiting for solid renal masses: insight into the natural history and results of delayed intervention. J Urol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2006.09.064
Campi R, Sessa F, Corti F et al (2020) Triggers for delayed intervention in patients with small renal masses undergoing active surveillance: a systematic review. Minerva Urol Nefrol. https://doi.org/10.23736/S0393-2249.20.03870-9
Canvasser NE, Stouder K, Lay AH et al (2016) The usefulness of chest X-rays for T1a renal cell carcinoma surveillance. J Urol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2016.02.068
Doornweerd BHJ, de Jong IJ, Bergman LM, Ananias HJK (2014) Chest X-ray in the follow-up of renal cell carcinoma. World J Urol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-013-1176-2
Kassiri B, Cheaib JG, Pierorazio PM (2019) Patients with small renal masses undergoing active surveillance-is yearly chest imaging necessary? J Urol. https://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000000079
Yamashita Y, Ariyoshi A, Sakamoto K (1989) The therapeutic value of lymph node dissection for renal cell carcinoma. Nishinihon J Urol 51:777–781
Gong IH, Hwang J, Choi DK et al (2012) Relationship among total kidney volume, renal function and age. J Urol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2011.09.005
Schiavina R, Borghesi M, Dababneh H et al (2015) Small renal masses managed with active surveillance: predictors of tumor growth rate after long-term follow-up. Clin Genitourin Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clgc.2014.08.006
Mueller-Lisse UG, Mueller-Lisse UL, Meindl T et al (2007) Staging of renal cell carcinoma. Eur Radiol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-006-0554-1
ACR Committee M on CD and C (2015) Manual on Contrast Media, v10.1
Vogel C, Ziegelmüller B, Ljungberg B et al (2019) Imaging in suspected renal-cell carcinoma: systematic review. Clin Genitourin Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clgc.2018.07.024
Platzek I, Zastrow S, Deppe PE et al (2010) Whole-body MRI in follow-up of patients with renal cell carcinoma. Acta radiol. https://doi.org/10.3109/02841851003724846
Krishna S, Murray CA, McInnes MD et al (2017) CT imaging of solid renal masses: pitfalls and solutions. Clin Radiol 72(9):708–721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crad.2017.05.003
Gorin MA, Rowe SP, Allaf ME (2015) Nuclear imaging of renal tumours: a step towards improved risk stratification. Nat Rev Urol 12(8):445–50. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2015.122
Beisland C, Hjelle KM, Reisæter LAR, Bostad L (2009) Observation should be considered as an alternative in management of renal masses in older and comorbid patients. Eur Urol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2008.12.031
O’Connor KM, Davis N, Lennon GM et al (2009) Can we avoid surgery in elderly patients with renal masses by using the Charlson comorbidity index? BJU Int. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2008.08275.x
Lane BR, Abouassaly R, Gao T et al (2010) Active treatment of localized renal tumors may not impact overall survival in patients aged 75 years or older. Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.25184
Parker PA, Alba F, Fellman B et al (2013) Illness uncertainty and quality of life of patients with small renal tumors undergoing watchful waiting: a 2 year prospective study. Eur Urol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2013.01.034
Tang DH, Nawlo J, Chipollini J et al (2017) Management of renal masses in an octogenarian cohort: is there a right approach? Clin Genitourin Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clgc.2017.05.011
Siu W, Hafez KS, Johnston WK, Wolf JS (2007) Growth rates of renal cell carcinoma and oncocytoma under surveillance are similar. Urol Oncol Semin Orig Investig. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urolonc.2006.07.018
Jewett MAS, Mattar K, Basiuk J et al (2011) Active surveillance of small renal masses: progression patterns of early stage kidney cancer. Eur Urol 60:39–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2011.03.030
McIntosh AG, Ristau BT, Ruth K et al (2018) Active surveillance for localized renal masses: tumor growth, delayed intervention rates, and >5 yr clinical outcomes[figure presented]. Eur Urol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2018.03.011
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors have contributed to the information and material submitted for publication and all authors have read and approved the manuscript. GR: data collection, data analysis, and manuscript writing. NP: data collection, data analysis, and manuscript writing. MCM: data collection, data analysis, and manuscript writing.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
Authors have no direct or indirect commercial financial incentives associated with publishing the manuscript.
Human participants and/or animals
No research involving human participants and/or animals.
Informed consent
No informed consent required.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rebez, G., Pavan, N. & Mir, M.C. Available active surveillance follow-up protocols for small renal mass: a systematic review. World J Urol 39, 2875–2882 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-020-03581-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-020-03581-6