Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine studied the effects of surgery on chronic kidney disease and bone health, particularly in women. For the first time, they show that surgery to preserve as many kidney units as possible plays an important role in preserving kidney function and reducing the risk of fracture later in life. “When weighing the pros and cons of partial versus total nephrectomy, physicians and patients should consider the impact on a patient’s bone health.” says Ithaar Derweesh, MD, of UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. Studies have found that complete nephrectomy is a risk factor for chronic kidney disease, which in turn increases the risk of metabolic complications, cardiovascular disease and death. Partial nephrectomy, however, preserves healthy kidney cells and reduces the chance of developing chemical imbalances, such as metabolic acidosis, which can progress to renal insufficiency, muscle wasting and osteoporosis, causing bone loss and fractures. Renal cell carcinoma is a common urologic malignancy, with 57,760 new cases and 12,908 deaths per year in the United States in 2009. Partial nephrectomy with preservation of the renal unit for small renal tumors has become the gold standard and can achieve the same cure rate as radical resection.