UroToday – Significant Discrepancy Between Clinical and Pathologic Staging in Renal Cell Carcinoma: “These data suggest that nearly 20% of patients with clinical stage T1 tumors may be upstaged after nephrectomy. The observed differences in recurrence-free survival and disease-specific survival provide additional evidence supporting intact specimen extraction after laparoscopic nephrectomy in cases of suspected malignancy. These data suggest that nearly 20% of patients with clinical stage T1 tumors may be upstaged after nephrectomy. The observed differences in recurrence-free survival and disease-specific survival provide additional evidence supporting intact specimen extraction after laparoscopic nephrectomy in cases of suspected malignancy. ”
I did not think that any surgeons morcellated kidneys that were being removed for cancer, but this study is another reminder of one of the reasons not to.
My other major concern is possible spread for morcellation.