Grant received in 2026

DCCC has funded 200,000 DKK to the project.

Each year, approximately 1,200 Danes are diagnosed with kidney cancer, increasingly at earlier stages, where several treatment options are available. At the same time, there is considerable variation in treatment choices across the country, and decisions are often made on the basis of limited evidence.

This study will be designed to generate high-quality real-world data across all current treatment strategies, including active surveillance, local ablation, nephron-sparing surgery, and radical nephrectomy. The aim is to provide a stronger evidence base for treatment decisions in patients with non-metastatic kidney cancer and thereby contribute to improved clinical decision-making, greater patient involvement, and more consistent treatment practices in Denmark.

The study will be conducted as a nationwide collaboration involving all eight urological departments in Denmark and is expected to enrol nearly 6,000 patients. As randomised trials in this patient population are challenging to conduct, the study will use a target trial emulation framework  to estimate causal treatment effects using prospective cohort data.

Funding from DCCC supports essential preparatory activities, including national coordination, protocol development, submission to the Danish Health Research Ethics Committee system, development of patient information materials, establishment of a patient advisory panel, and development of a REDCap database.

Interdisciplinary organisation

The project is anchored in the Danish Renal Cancer Group (DaRenCa) and will be conducted in collaboration with all urological departments in Denmark.

Project stakeholders

Capital Region of Denmark

  • Anne Kirstine Møller Darras, MD, PhD, Department of Oncology, Herlev-Gentofte Hospital, Member of DaRenCa
  • Katrin Schou-Jensen, MD, Department of Urology, Herlev-Gentofte Hospital
  • Thomas Bretlau, MD Department of Radiology, Herlev-Gentofte Hospital

Central Denmark Region

  • Mia Gebauer Madsen, MD, PhD, Department of Urology, Aarhus University Hospital, Member of DaRenCa
  • Niels Fristrup, Associate Professor, MD, PhD, Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Member of DaRenCa

North Denmark Region

  • Tommy Kjærgaard Nielsen, Associate Professor, MD, PhD, Department of Urology, Aalborg University Hospital

Region Zealand

  • Frederik Ferløv Thomsen, Associate Professor, MD, PhD, Department of Urology, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Secretary for DaRenCa. Primary contact, mail: ftho@regionsjaelland.dk
  • Juan Luis Vásquez, Associate Professor, MD, PhD, Department of Urology, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde
  • Rasmus Due Petersson, MD, Department of Urology, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde

Region of Southern Denmark

  • Lars Lund, Professor, MD, DMSci, Department of Urology, Odense University Hospital, Chairman for DaRenCa
  • Michael Porath, MD, Department of Urology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle