A peer-reviewed study analyzing how urologists treat patients with kidney tumors gives some validation to the use of a New Jersey-based laboratory’s genomic for kidney cancer. The study of more than 100 urologists, published in the most recent edition of the Journal of Kidney Cancer, suggested a majority would use a test distributed by Rosetta Genomics to determine the difference between a benign renal oncocytoma and a renal cell carcinoma, a cancerous malignancy. Currently, the use of CT scans, ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging are the primary tools for determining the presence and significance of renal tumors. However, in many cases, benign tumors are often mistaken for malignant, leading to the complete removal of the affected kidney. That’s an option the study concluded 59 percent of clinicians would avoid and 31 percent would instead opt for a partial nephrectomy if they were confident the tumor was benign. Many others suggested they would engage in watchful waiting instead. Aside from the risks to a patient undergoing surgery, the costs of a complete nephrectomy are far steeper than the alternatives — the mean cost is $11,567 for a total kidney removal and $7,200 for a partial removal, according to the study. “Clinician […]
A peer-reviewed study analyzing how urologists treat patients with kidney tumors gives some validation to the use of a New Jersey-based laboratory’s genomic for kidney cancer.
The study of more than 100 urologists, published in the most recent edition of the Journal of Kidney Cancer, suggested a majority would use a test distributed by Rosetta Genomics to determine the difference between a benign renal oncocytoma and a renal cell carcinoma, a cancerous malignancy.
Currently, the use of CT scans, ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging are the primary tools for determining the presence and significance of renal tumors. However, in many cases, benign tumors are often mistaken for malignant, leading to the complete removal of the affected kidney. That’s an option the study concluded 59 percent of clinicians would avoid and 31 percent would instead opt for a partial nephrectomy if they were confident the tumor was benign. Many others suggested they would engage in watchful waiting instead.
Aside from the risks to a patient undergoing surgery, the costs of a complete nephrectomy are far steeper than the alternatives -- the mean cost is $11,567 for a total kidney removal and $7,200 for a partial removal, according to the study.
“Clinician receptivity ... to change their practice and increase use of pre-nephrectomy biopsy to reduce unnecessary surgery is a critical first step to improve care and lower health care costs,” said Kenneth A. Berlin, Rosetta’s chief executive officer. “The results of this survey should significantly enhance our efforts to make pre-nephrectomy biopsy and differential diagnosis ... a standard practice in kidney cancer diagnosis and treatment.”
Rosetta has its work cut out for it: Only 9 percent of urologists surveyed say they use biopsies for diagnostic purposes, even though its mean cost is similar to an MRI. Fully a third said undertaking a biopsy was a “major barrier” to using the Rosetta assay, and another 52 percent said it represented a minor barrier. Only 15 percent said it would present no barrier at all.
Takeaway: Rosetta’s kidney tumor test could wind up cutting costs for treating renal tumors if clinicians accepted biopsies as a more commonplace practice.
