IS POSTOPERATIVE RADIATION FOR RENAL-CELL CARCINOMA JUSTIFIED

Purpose: To identify the pattern of failure in patients with resected renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Materials and methods: The records of 116 patients with unilateral, non-hematogenous metastatic RCC who were tre ated with definitive surgery and referred to the Ottawa Regional Cance r Centre between 1977 and 1988 were reviewed. Distribution by stage in cluded T1 (3 patients), T2 (42 patients) and T3 (71 patients). The med ian follow-up was 44 months, with a range of 4-267 months. Results: Lo cal regional failure (LRF) developed in 8 patients. Nine patients deve loped local or regional recurrence, plus distant failure. Fifty-eight patients had distant metastases (DM) only. The 7-year actuarial rate f or LRF and DM were 12%, and 67%, respectively. The overall 7-year actu arial survival rate was 35%, and cause-specific survival was 42%. Conc lusions: LRF alone is rare following nephrectomy. DM is the main patte rn of failure. This data does not support the role of adjuvant radiati on therapy in this disease. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.