Kidney Preserving Surgery for Kidney Cancer Prevents Osteoporosis

Research carried out by scientists at the San Diego School of Medicine emphasizes the importance of kidney-sparing surgery to reduce the risk of later-life osteoporosis.

New research emphasizes the significance of carrying out kidney-sparing surgery on patients with renal cancer to preserve kidney function and to minimize the risk of bone fractures later in life.

The study performed by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine was published in the July 19 edition of Urology.

Ithaar Derweesh, MD, senior author and urologic oncologist at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center said, “When weighing the risks and benefits of partial versus radical nephrectomy, doctors and patients should take into account the impact on a patient’s bone health”.

"This study illuminates the fact that preserving the kidney helps to prevent chronic kidney disease and significantly reduces bone fractures and risk of developing osteoporosis", he said.

Complete /Partial Nephrectomy

Renal cell carcinoma is a kind of kidney cancer and nephrectomy is one of the treatment methods used to treat the disease.

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But of late, with advancements in medical technology, kidney-preserving treatments are the preferred mode of treatment for small renal masses.

When compared to radical nephrectomy, they offer the same cure rates and offer better kidney function protection.

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The total removal of a kidney, nephrectomy, is understood to be a significant risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). This in turn, increases a person's risk for metabolic complications, cardiovascular disease and even death.

When partial nephrectomy is carried out, healthy and viable kidney cells are preserved. This can help to reduce or even prevent the chances of developing metabolic acidosis (chemical imbalance), which may later pave the way for kidney dysfunction, muscle wasting and osteoporosis.

“Women facing kidney surgery should investigate whether partial kidney removal is an option to treat their disease as it may help prevent bone brittleness. Too often urologists have done radical nephrectomies for patients who were candidates for partial nephrectomy. While partial nephrectomy is more complex for the surgeon to perform, it can offer better quality of life later in life,” said Christopher Kane, MD, Professor of Surgery, C. Lowell and JoEllen Parsons Endowed Chair in Urology and Chief of the Division of Urology, and paper co-author.

About the Team

The UC San Diego team of researchers has one of the best kidney preservation rates in the USA. They use robotic technology to carry out partial nephrectomies to patients who would have, earlier, gone in for the traditional surgery.

Derweesh is a nationally-acclaimed surgeon who is committed to preserving kidney function in patients undergoing kidney cancer treatment.

Fellow researchers of Derweesh include at UC San Diego Aditya Bagrodia, Reza Mehrazin, Wassim M. Bazzi, Jonathan Silberstein, John B. Malcom, Sean P. Stroup, Omer Raheem, Robert W. Wake, Anthony

Reference:

1. HealthCanal.com

Source-Medindia