Dr. Uzzo on the Guidelines for the Management of Kidney Cancer

Robert G. Uzzo, MD, chair, Surgical Oncology, G. Willing "Wing" Pepper Chair in Cancer Research, senior vice president, Physician Services, president, Fox Chase Cancer Center Medical Group, Inc., professor of surgery, Temple University Health System, Fox Chase Cancer Center, discusses the guidelines for the treatment and management of patients with kidney cancer.

There is an increasing emphasis on biopsy to determine and risk-stratify patients prior to any plans for excision, ablation, or observation. The use of percutaneous biopsy as a risk-stratifying tool is an important aspect of all the guidelines.

Many physicians believe that biopsy is associated with a risk of tumor spillage, which fortunately is not the case, states Uzzo. Biopsy does not seem to be associated with a higher-risk of tumor dissemination.