Volume 14, Number 1Review ArticlesActive Surveillance for Small Renal MassesManagement UpdatePhillip M PierorazioJeffrey K MullinsMohamad E AllafElias S HyamsSmall renal masses (SRMs; # 4 cm in dimension) have rapidly risen in incidence in recent decades and pose an increasingly common management dilemma in urology. SRMs are biologically heterogeneous and a wide variety of treatments exist with favorable oncologic outcomes. Active surveillance (AS) has emerged as a viable option for those not desiring surgery or those who are suboptimal candidates for surgery, with < 2% of patients progressing to metastatic disease in retrospective and prospective studies. This article reviews the current data regarding AS for SRM, operational considerations for an AS program, and criteria for safely selecting patients for this treatment strategy. [ Rev Urol. 2012;14(1/2):13-19 doi: 10.3909/riu0545] © 2012 MedReviews®, LLCRenal cell carcinomaSmall renal massActive surveillance
Volume 22, Number 1Review ArticlesActive Surveillance for Small Renal MassesManagement ReviewShagnik RayJoseph G CheaibPhillip M PierorazioActive surveillance (AS) is a safe and reasonable management strategy for many patients with small renal masses (SRM) suspicious for a clinical T1a renal cell carcinoma based on excellent metastasis-free and cancer-specific survival. However, the expansion of robotic extirpation of SRM has outpaced the adoption of AS, resulting in the possibility of overtreatment for select patients with SRM, especially the elderly and comorbid. In this review of AS for SRM, with a focus on the Delayed Intervention and Surveillance for Small Renal Masses (DISSRM) Registry, we detail the rationale behind AS, review lessons learned from the past decades of literature, and offer suggestions for appropriate patient selection and follow-up. An improved understanding of the data supporting AS will empower physicians and patients to more comfortably pursue AS to avoid overtreatment and provide individualized care to patients with SRM. [Rev Urol. 2020;22(1):9–16] © 2020 MedReviews®, LLCRenal cell carcinomaSmall renal massActive surveillanceRenal mass biopsyChest imaging