Management of Adult Renal Tumours: Review of Nine (9) Years Experience

Background: Renal tumours appear to be relatively uncommon in our routine urological practice compared to other urological malignancies of bladder and prostate origins. Their presentations are often late despite increasing availability and affordability of routine imaging modalities for early detection. This therefore poses management challenge in our environment. This study aims to review our 9-year experience with the management of renal tumours at the Urology Unit of a tertiary health facility in North-western Nigeria Methodology: A retrospective review of 20 patients managed for renal tumour at our facility from September 2009 to August 2017. Data of all adult patients managed for renal tumours was retrieved and analyzed using SPSS 20.0 version for windows. The results were presented in percentages and mean ± SD as well as charts. Results: Twenty (20) patients were managed for renal tumours during the review period. The mean age of patients was 39.94 ± 12.19 years with median of 35 years and male to female ratio of 1:2. Nineteen (19) patient (95%) and 1(5%) had malignant and benign renal tumours respectively. Clinical presentations were flank mass seen in 18 patients (90%), flank pain 16 (80%), haematuria 10(50%), cough 2(10%), and pleural effusion 2(10%). Only clinical stages III and IV tumour were seen. 70% were clear cell variety while 5% was angiomyolipoma. Sixteen (80%) of patients had radical nephrectomy and two (10%) with inoperable tumour benefited from targeted molecular therapy preoperatively using Sorafenib. Conclusion: Late presentation of patients with renal tumours to our facility despite the availability of imaging facilities such as ultrasound scanning is still the norm. This makes surgery which offers best chance of survival and quality of life difficult and challenging. Targeted therapy using sorafenib, if available and affordable in our environment will be useful in management of patients with inoperable tumours.