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Positive surgical margins after partial nephrectomy

Small renal tumors are generally managed by partial nephrectomy; however, positive surgical margins are occasionally found on final pathologic examination. Growing evidence suggests that the presence of positive margins does not adversely affect outcomes; these patients can potentially be managed expectantly with close follow-up without compromising oncological efficacy.

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Correspondence to Sascha Pahernik.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Pahernik, S., Hohenfellner, M. Positive surgical margins after partial nephrectomy. Nat Rev Urol 7, 240–242 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2010.58

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