There is an increasing role for ablative techniques in the management of the incidentally discovered renal malignancy, particularly in patients with multiple comorbidities. Percutaneous ablation has been shown to be a good option for patients with cT1a tumors (≤4.0cm) with recurrence and metastasis-free survival rates comparable to those of partial nephrectomy (1). 

The use of ablative techniques for larger tumors, cT1b (4.1-7.0cm) however, has not yet been widely adopted. This is in part due to concern that cryoablation of higher T-stage RCC may be associated with greater complication rates (2).

The objective of the study was to describe the safety, technical results, and clinical outcomes of percutaneous cryoablation of stage T1b renal cell carcinoma (RCC).