Hilar Location is an Independent Prognostic Factor for Recurrence in T1 Renal Cell Carcinoma After Nephrectomy

Purpose We investigated the prognostic significance of tumor location at the renal hilum near the sinus structure on the recurrence in T1 renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Methods A total of 1,818 T1 RCC patients who underwent radical (RN) or partial nephrectomy (PN) from 1997 to 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. A hilar tumor was defined as a tumor abutting the main renal artery and/or vein or its segmental branches, without invasion. We compared the recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates between hilar and nonhilar T1 RCC and analyzed predictors of RFS after nephrectomy. Results Patients with hilar tumors showed a poorer 5-year RFS compared with nonhilar tumors both in T1a (89.7 vs. 98.5 %, p