Conversation: The conversation between human and AI assistant.
[|Human|] MY QUESTION REGARDS RENAL CELL CA. HOW LONG DO I PLAY THE SURVEILANCE GAME. HOW LARGE DO RENAL CELL CA HAVE TO BE TO USE THE ROBOTIC PROCEDURE . (HAD A PARTIAL NEPHRECTOMY THREE YRS AGO)  MOST RECENT CT SCAN NOTES 1 CM ON RIGHT AND 8 MM ON LEFT. CT OF CHEST CLEAR, NO METS.  I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THE ROBOTIC PROCEDURE COULD REMOVE VERY SMALL LESIONS.   WHEN I ASKED ABOUT ABLATION; THE ANSWER WAS ; TOO SMALL. I AM TOLD THIS IS A SLOW GROWING STAGE 2 RENAL CELL. ATTEMPTED TO HAVE SECOND OPINION AT MD ANDERSON BUT WANTED 3500.00 UP FRONT WITH TWO INSURANCES. RECURRENCE ON LEFT, NEW ON RIGHTPLEASE NOTE: I AM HEALTHY, WORKING FULL TIME AT AGE 71. I WOULD RATHER NOT WAIT UNTIL AGE 80 BEFORE REMOVAL .
[|AI|]  Hi, Surveillance is mostly used for small tumors in elderly. Since you fit in to that category they have advised you the same. You can be on surveillance for as long as you want. Usually the benign tumor will not grow faster that 3-4 mm/yr. However, if there is any rapid growth you will need intervention.  Robotic surgery is one of the mode of treatment and there is no strict size criteria for selecting the patients for surgery. It depends on the surgeons skill and experience.  Radio frequency ablation is one of the option but since your tumors are small, it will be difficult to target them.