The natural history of metachronous renal cell carcinoma.

A case of metachronous renal cell carcinoma is reported in a 52-year-old male patient who had previously undergone radical nephrectomy for cancer in 1989. He was thereafter monitored with annual CT-scans. In January 1994, a small, solid, renal parenchymal mass was detected in the opposite kidney. Following that, three consecutive abdominal CT-scans were carried out over the year in order to evaluate any changes. Subsequently, elective right nephron-sparing resection was performed. This report discusses neoplasm detection, evolution and clinical approach in a patient with previous nephrectomy for cancer.