Small renal masses (SRMs) have been frequently found as incidentaloma in recent decades. Although partial nephrectomy is generally recommended, perioperative adverse events are a concern. As an alternative to partial nephrectomy, percutaneous cryoablation is minimally invasive for older patients and patients with comorbidities. Reportedly, age at diagnosis may affect the recurrence rate after partial nephrectomy. Given the paucity of reports on whether age is associated with cryoablation outcomes, we aimed to investigate the long-term impact of cryoablation for SRMs performed at different age ranges.
This retrospective study included 187 patients who underwent percutaneous cryoablation for SRMs at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine during a 10-year period (April 2013 to March 2022). We divided the patients into two groups according to age: Group 1 (<80 years, n = 135) and Group 2 (≥80 years, n = 52). Patient background, post-treatment outcomes, and complications in both groups were retrospectively analyzed during median observation periods of 41 (Group 1) and 36.5 (Group 2) months.
Although the tumor diameter was significantly greater in Group 2 than in Group 1 (p = 0.015), there were no significant differences between the two groups in overall, cancer-specific, metastasis-free, and local recurrence-free survival. There were no significant differences in the complication rates or treatment-related decline in renal function between the two groups.
Percutaneous cryoablation had no age-related effects on survival, therapeutic outcomes, or complications. These results provide valuable information for deciding on a treatment option for SRMs in an aging society.
European journal of surgical oncology : the journal of the European Society of Surgical Oncology and the British Association of Surgical Oncology. 2025 Jan 25 [Epub]
Shinya Miyazaki, Atsuko Fujihara, Fumiya Hongo, Takumi Shiraishi, Takashi Ueda, Tsukasa Narukawa, Munehiro Ohashi, Tatsuya Yoshikawa, Tatsuya Hirota, Kei Yamada, Osamu Ukimura
Department of Urology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. Electronic address: ., Department of Urology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. Electronic address: ., Department of Urology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. Electronic address: ., Department of Urology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. Electronic address: ., Department of Urology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. Electronic address: ., Department of Urology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. Electronic address: ., Department of Urology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. Electronic address: ., Department of Radiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. Electronic address: ., Department of Radiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. Electronic address: ., Department of Radiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. Electronic address: ., Department of Urology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. Electronic address: .