Cryoablation for renal tumors: current status

Purpose of review To review the evolution and current status of cryoablation for renal tumors. Recent findings Cryoablation is the most evaluated probe ablative method for the treatment of small renal masses. It is associated with high efficacy and low morbidity. New data on intermediate and long-term oncological outcomes are now available. Five and 10-year cancer-specific survival are 93 and 81%, respectively. Renal cryoablation is most commonly performed percutaneously or laparoscopically. Recently, single-port laparoscopic and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery approaches have also been employed for renal cryotherapy. Summary With careful patient selection, the intermediate-term and long-term oncologic outcomes after cryoablation for kidney tumors are satisfactory. Combination with new technologies and further development of imaging techniques can potentially expand the range of indications of the procedure.