Partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma: indications, results and implications. Of 52 patients who underwent partial nephrectomy for tumor 44 were found to have renal cell carcinoma. The indications for this parenchyma-sparing procedure were categorized according to the initial status of the contralateral kidney and included bilateral tumors or tumor in a solitary kidney in 16 patients (mandatory indications), unilateral carcinoma with compromise of the contralateral kidney by a benign disease process in 9 (relative indications) and small peripheral tumor with a normal contralateral kidney in 19 (elective indications). There were 4 recurrences that accounted for 3 deaths, all in patients with mandatory indications. All patients who underwent partial nephrectomy for relative or elective indications were without definite evidence of recurrent disease at last followup (over-all mean 36 months). Our results suggest that conservative surgery can often provide effective and advantageous therapy for renal cancer and we encourage further consideration of the role of partial nephrectomy as an alternative to radical nephrectomy in selected patients with small peripheral tumors and normal contralateral kidneys. 