At Global Voices in Renal Oncology (VIRO) 2025, organized by OncoDaily, Dr. Padraic O’Malley, Clinical Assistant Professor in the University of Florida Department of Urology and Chief of Urologic Oncology delivered a talk on “Active Surveillance: Patient Selection and Protocols”.
Key Takeaways from Dr. O’Malley’s Presentation:
Importance of Competing Risks:
- Dr. O’Malley highlighted that while monitoring the growth of tumors is crucial, it is equally important to consider other competing risks, such as death from causes unrelated to the cancer itself.
- Growth rate alone is not a reliable predictor of cancer progression or subtype.
- While larger masses tend to grow at a faster rate, this does not directly correlate with more aggressive biological behavior.
Patient Selection for Active Surveillance:
- Not all patients are suitable for active surveillance; selection depends on various factors, including tumor size and growth rate.
- Patients with tumors growing more than 3.5 cm per year were most likely to undergo delayed intervention, indicating the need for close monitoring.
Efficacy of Intervention:
- Dr. O’Malley pointed out that surgical interventions or ablation tend to reduce local tumor progression.
- However, studies suggest that these interventions do not significantly affect overall survival or metastatic progression compared to surveillance alone.
- The choice of intervention is more likely influenced by patient selection and other medical risks rather than by the tumor’s growth rate.
Read Other Highlights from VIRO 2025.
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