**6. Conclusion**

Surgical therapy remains the only curative approach in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma being resistant opposite radiation and chemotherapy. (Radical) nephrectomy was the stand‐ ard surgical procedure over a long period of time. The spread and further developments of imaging diagnostics resulted in an earlier diagnostic of incidentally detected small renal masses therefore an increase of the performance of nephron-sparing procedures. In the meantime partial nephrectomy represents the standard surgical technique in pT1a renal cell carcinomas (size of tumour ≤ 4cm). Over the past years laparoscopic procedures (laparo‐ scopic nephrectomy and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy) showing similar results in con‐ sideration of the oncological outcome compared to open-surgical procedures gained in importance. Long-term results of the rather new technique of robotic nephrectomy and par‐ tial nephrectomy are encouraging but remain to be seen. LESS (Laparoscopic Single Site Sur‐ gery) and NOTES (Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery) are first steps towards modifying established minimal invasive procedures.
