[Operative treatment of renal cell carcinoma].

Renal cell carcinoma represents the fifth most frequent malignant tumor in humans. At the time of diagnosis, 20% of the patients already manifest metastases. A further 20-30% of the patients develop systemic metastases in the postoperative course. Despite continued advances in pharmacological treatment options, cancer surgery tailored to the individual tumor findings constitutes the only curative treatment option.