Management of Small Renal Masses

Abstract

The rise in incidentally discovered enhancing solid renal tumors has spurred the development of new approaches to managing this unique clinical entity known as the small renal mass (SRM). These approaches are grounded on a better understanding of the natural history of SRM, with the goal to reduce the morbidity associated with their management and avoid overtreatment. In this chapter, we review the body of evidence pertaining to the classification and clinical management of SRMs with respect to diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. In addition, we discuss the controversies and active areas of development for this rapidly evolving field that strides towards a precision medicine paradigm.  This review contains 6 figures, 6 tables and 63 references Keywords: Small renal mass, renal cell carcinoma, radical nephrectomy, renal tumor biopsy, active surveillance, natural history, oncocytoma, robotic surgery, partial nephrectomy