Surgical waiting time from initial urological consultation to operative intervention does not adversely affect the outcome of renal cell carcinoma within the time frames analyzed in this study, in which 94% of cases occurred within 3 months. Individual urologist judgment remains a critical factor in the appropriate and timely care of the patient with a suspicious renal mass.
Patients often ask how soon they have to have surgery when diagnosed with a likely cancer. This study shows that for kidney cancer it does not seem to make much of a diffference. The main problem with tihs study is that patients with larger tumors often get counselled to have surgery right away, whereas smaller ones are often given the option to wait a few months if the patient wants to.