Postoperative UFT Adjuvant and the Risk Factors for Recurrence in Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Long‐Term Follow‐Up Study

<jats:p> <jats:bold>Background</jats:bold> Radical nephrectomy is the standard therapy for low‐stage renal cell carcinoma. However, recurrence sometimes develops even in patients who are considered to have undergone a curative resection of the primary tumor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of UFT (a 1: 4 mixture of tegafur and uracil) adjuvant and the risk factors for recurrence in renal cell carcinoma.</jats:p><jats:p> <jats:bold>Methods</jats:bold> A prospective randomized trial was conducted to compare the use of long‐term oral UFT adjuvant with nonadjuvant therapy after a radical nephrectomy for Robson stage I or <jats:italic>II</jats:italic> renal cell carcinoma. A multivariate analysis was also performed to estimate the risk factors for recurrence.</jats:p><jats:p> <jats:bold>Results</jats:bold> A total of 71 patients were entered into this study, and 66 were evaluable (33 for each group). There was no significant difference in patient characteristics between the 2 groups. The nonrecurrence rate at 5 years after a radical nephrectomy was 80.5% and 77.1% in the UFT adjuvant group and the nonadjuvant group, respectively, with a median follow‐up of 112.9 months; the difference was not significant. The toxicity of UFT was generally mild and tolerable. The tumor grade was found to be an important factor influencing recurrence.</jats:p><jats:p> <jats:bold>Conclusion</jats:bold> UFT cannot be universally recommended as an adjuvant therapy for radical nephrectomy in all patients with low‐stage renal cell carcinoma.</jats:p>