Transitional cell carcinoma in renal transplant recipients: A single center experience

Objective:   To present a single center experience in managing transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) in Chinese renal transplant (RTx) recipients.
Methods:   In a cohort of 1429 patients who received RTx operation, 27 patients (six males and 21 females) were pathologically diagnosed with TCC in their native urologic system. The data were analyzed retrospectively.
Results:   The incidence of TCC was 1.89% and accounted for 41.5% of the patients with post-transplant de novo malignancies among 1429 recipients. Among the 27 recipients with TCC, 77.8% were female, 59.3% had taken a Chinese herb that contains aristolochic acid for at least 2 months before RTx, 51.9% had painless gross hematuria, while 40.7% had microscopic hematuria and/or repeated urologic infection. Two patients were found to have asymptomatic hydronephrosis during a routine check-up. The patients with upper tract carcinoma underwent simultaneous bilateral nephroureterectomy or unilateral nephroureterectomy and bladder cuff resection. Transurethral resection of the bladder tumor was carried out in patients with concomitant or solitary superficial bladder lesions. Intravesical chemotherapy was started and immunosuppressants were adjusted in all patients immediately after the surgery. Tumor recurrence in the bladder was noted in five patients. In one patient, residual and/or recurrent carcinoma in the contralateral pelvis was detected.
Conclusions:   Transitional cell carcinoma is the predominant malignancy in Chinese RTx recipients. Female sex, the Chinese herb containing aristolochic acid and immunosuppression are markedly associated with the development of TCC. Risk-adapted screening, strict follow up, standard surgical intervention and dose reduction of immunosuppressants are very important for early diagnosis and treatment of TCC.     

Transitional Cell Carcinoma in Renal Transplant Recipients

Renal transplantation (RTx) recipients have a high incidence of cancer, including transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). Posttransplantation urologic malignancies still present a challenge for transplant surgeons. Using the Dialysis and Transplant Registry of Taichung Veterans General Hospital, a total of 55 cancers were diagnosed in 52 RTx recipients between May 1983 and September 2001. Of these, 24 RTx recipients developing TCC were identified and presented the distinctly high percentage (43.6%) of TCC that were malignancies after RTx in Taiwan. The mean time between transplantation and initial diagnosis was 46 months in our series. Painless hematuria with pyuria is the most common mode of presentation. Transitional cell carcinoma of RTx recipients had multiple foci. Moreover, synchronous TCC in bilateral upper urinary tracts were confirmed in 9 (41%) recipients. The pathologic status of disease is invasive at diagnosis (pTa: 2, pT1: 7, pT2: 4, pT3: 6, pT4: 2, graft metastasis: 1 and distant metastasis: 2). Disseminated metastasis occurred in 6 recipients, all of whom died of their disease within 16 months. Five recipients received adjuvant chemotherapy and retained stable renal function. We conclude that RTx recipients have a markedly increased incidence of TCC in Taiwan, and that prophylactic bilateral nephroureterectomy of native kidneys with bladder cuff excision can be performed simultaneously in RTx recipients with TCC.     

肾移植术后并发双侧自体肾盂和输尿管移行细胞癌16例

目的 总结肾移植术后发生双侧自体肾盂、输尿管移行细胞癌的诊治经验.方法 回顾性分析16例肾移植术后发生双侧自体肾盂、输尿管移行细胞癌患者的资料.首次发现上尿路肿瘤的时间为移植后(56.2±33.0)个月.2例同时发现双侧上尿路肿瘤,其余14例双侧上尿路肿瘤先后发现的时间间隔为(8.6±6.7)个月.临床症状和检查阳性结果以血尿和自体肾积水为主.均行自体上尿路根治性切除术,术后行膀胱灌注化疗.结果 16例手术均成功.32次自体肾、输尿管的病理检查结果均为移行细胞癌,包括单纯肾盂肿瘤4次,单纯输尿管肿瘤9次,合并肾盂、输尿管肿瘤19次.23次肾盂肿瘤的分级为1级8例,2级11例,3级4例;28次输尿管肿瘤的分级为1级6例,2级10例,3级12例.术后随访(26.8±25.1)个月,1例出现肺部转移后死亡;1例发生腰背部软组织转移性移行细胞癌,局部切除;其他患者未发现肿瘤复发及转移.结论 肾移植后自体上尿路移行细胞癌的常见表现为血尿合并自体肾积水,该肿瘤侵袭性较强,对于膀胱及一侧自体上尿路同时存在移行细胞癌者,应行对侧自体肾上尿路预防性切除术.

Abstract：

Objective To investigate the clinical features of bilateral native pelvic and ureteral transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) in renal transplant patients. Methods A retrospective analysis was carried out on 16 patients with bilateral native pelvic and ureteral TCC after kidney transplantation.The mean time between transplantation and diagnosis of upper urinary TCC was 56. 2 ± 33. 0 months.Two patients were suffered from bilateral upper urinary TCC at the same time. The mean interval between 2 upper urinary tract operations of the remaining 14 cases was 8. 6 ± 6. 7 months. Hematuria and hydronephrosis of native kidneys were the main symptoms and targets in checkup. Intravesical chemotherapy was postoperatively given. Results All operations were performed successfully. All specimens obtained from the operations were pathologically diagnosed as TCC. The TCC location involved pure native pelvis (n = 4), pure native ureter (n = 9), and pelvis combined with ureter (n = 19). Pelvic TCC pathological grades included grade 1 in 8 cases, grade 2 in 11 cases, and grade 3 in 4 cases; Ureteral TCC grades included grade 1 in 6 cases, grade 2 in 10 cases, and grade 3 in 12 cases.Patients were followed up for 26. 8 ± 25. 1 months. One patient died of lung metastasis. (One case of lumbar soft tissue transfer was given local excision. The remaining patients had no recurrence and metastasis. Conclusion Renal transplant patients with hematuria and native renal hydronephrosis should be highly vigilant of the occurrence of upper urinary tract TCC. TCC after renal transplantation is invasive. Prophylactic contralateral nephroureterectomy should be performed on the recipients having TCC at the bladder and one side of native upper urinary tract.     

肾移植术后并发尿路上皮肿瘤的临床分析

目的 分析肾移植患者并发尿路上皮肿瘤的特点，探讨其诊治方法。方法 自1998～2003年肾移植患者1293例，术后发生尿路上皮恶性肿瘤21例（1．6％）。男4例，女17例。17例原发病为慢性问质性肾炎。发生尿路上皮肿瘤距肾移植6～62个月，平均26个月。其中膀胱癌6例，单侧肾盂或输尿管癌6例，单侧肾盂或输尿管、膀胱癌8例，双侧肾盂输尿管癌1例。10例上尿路肿瘤发生部位与移植肾同侧，4例发生于移植肾对侧。临床症状以无痛性肉服血尿和反复泌尿系感染为主。19例行手术治疗，术后所有患者免疫抑制剂用量减少1／3并辅以局部灌注化疗。结果 2例行姑息性治疗的晚期肿瘤患者分别于发现肿瘤5、8个月死亡。余19例现已随访2～5年。13例肿瘤复发，复发部位为膀胱或对侧原。肾、输尿管。所有患者在免疫抑制剂减量期间均未出现急性排斥。2例因切除移植肾恢复透析，17例肾功能正常。结论 慢性间质性。肾炎导致。肾功能衰竭的。肾移植患者和女性肾移植患者易发生移植后尿路上皮肿瘤；移植肾同侧上尿路较对侧好发肿瘤；对移植肾对侧为首发的上尿路发生肿瘤者可预防性行双侧上尿路根治性切除。     

肾移植术后并发自体泌尿系统恶性肿瘤22例的临床分析

目的 分析肾移植受者并发自体泌尿系统恶性肿瘤的临床特征.方法 回顾性分析单中心1945例肾移植受者的临床资料,其中发生自体泌尿系统恶性肿瘤22例(发生率为1.13％),占所有恶性肿瘤的56.4 ％(22/39).22例中肾乳头状腺癌、肾乳头状细胞癌、肾血管肉瘤各1例;肾盂移行细胞癌1例,肾盂输尿管移行细胞癌6例,输尿管移行细胞癌7例,肾盂输尿管膀胱移行细胞癌1例;膀胱恶性肿瘤4例(包括膀胱移行细胞癌3例、膀胱交界恶性肿瘤1例).22例中,以肉眼血尿为主要症状者17例,2例反复出现镜下血尿,只有3例无明显临床症状.患者的发病年龄为(54.3±12.3)岁,诊断肿瘤的中位时间为移植术后53个月.10例采用环孢素A+硫唑嘌呤+泼尼松预防排斥反应,12例采用环孢素A+吗替麦考酚酯+泼尼松.所有患者均接受手术治疗,其中3例肾脏恶性肿瘤患者接受了根治性肾切除手术,15例肾孟、输尿管肿瘤患者接受患侧肾、输尿管切除并膀胱袖状切除,4例膀胱恶性肿瘤患者中,3例接受经尿道膀胱肿瘤电切术,1例行膀胱部分切除术.结果 随访2～97个月,死亡9例,死亡时间为肿瘤手术后6～97个月,死亡原因为骨转移1例,肺转移1例,脑转移2例,肝转移2例,全身广泛转移3例.随访截止时存活13例,存活时间最长者为单纯膀胱肿瘤患者,存活92个月,存活超过4年者4例,存活超过1年者5例.结论 自体泌尿系统恶性肿瘤是肾移植术后的一个重要并发症;无痛性肉眼血尿是最常见的症状;根治性手术切除是最主要的治 疗手段.     

13-year survival comparison of percutaneous and open nephroureterectomy approaches for management of transitional cell carcinoma of renal collecting system: equivalent outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the renal collecting system traditionally has been managed by open nephroureterectomy with en bloc resection of a bladder cuff. However, for a select patient population with a solitary kidney or bilateral disease, the morbidity and mortality associated with chronic renal insufficiency and dialysis is deterring. In these situations, a more conservative approach such as antegrade percutaneous resection should be considered. The long-term disease-free outcome of percutaneous management in comparison with open nephroureterectomy has not been previously reported. We evaluated our experience with two surgical approaches to treat upper tract TCC: percutaneous resection and nephroureterectomy/nephrectomy to assess the clinical efficacy of these surgical modalities. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified 162 patients who had clinically localized TCC of the upper urinary tract. Records were reviewed to identify those with 13-year follow-up (N = 110) in respect to tumor grade, stage, disease-free status, length of cancer-specific survival, and overall survival. Statistical analysis of the results of open nephroureterectomy/nephrectomy (N = 60) and percutaneous resection (N = 50) was performed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Student's t-test. RESULTS: All patients had disease in clinical stage Ta through T3. During a mean follow-up of 46.6 (range 6-150) months, grade 1 disease demonstrated little invasive potential. Of the disease-specific deaths, 60% (17/26) were of patients with grade 3 lesions, with a mean cancer survival period of 15.2 months after the initial procedure. Disease-specific survival rates after open and percutaneous approaches for grade 2 disease were 53.8 and 53.3 months, respectively (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Tumor grade appeared to be the most important prognostic indicator in patients with renal TCC regardless of the surgical approach. Grade 3 tumors were more aggressive, presenting in an advanced stage with invasion, and recurrences were usually associated with metastasis. In this population, nephroureterectomy is warranted if the patient is a surgical candidate. The percutaneous option for grade 1 or 2 disease may be extended beyond the population with solitary kidneys and a risk of chronic renal failure to be offered to healthy individuals with normal contralateral kidneys who are willing to abide by a strict and lengthy follow-up.     

The Role of Microscopic Hematuria in the Evaluation of Urologic Malignancy in Renal Transplant Recipients

Urologic malignancy is a relatively uncommon but serious complication following kidney transplantation. The reported prevalence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) of the native kidneys is 4.4% and of bladder malignancy is 2.6%. However, presently there are no universal guidelines for prospective screening of urologic malignancies after kidney transplantation. We routinely monitored all renal transplant recipients for microscopic hematuria and persistent hematuria (>3 separate occasions) results in imaging studies (ultrasound or computed tomography scan) of both native kidneys and the allograft. Cystoscopy is performed if imaging studies are negative. This retrospective study identified a total of 18 urologic malignancies among the study cohort, which consisted of 539 patients with an incidence of 3.3% (12 cases of RCC of native kidneys [10/12 had hematuria], and six cases of bladder and ureteral malignancies [6/6 had hematuria]). There were no significant differences between cyclosporine- and tacrolimus-based immunosuppression (IS). Among RCC recipients, two lost the allograft from chronic allograft nephropathy and one patient died unrelated to malignancy. Among patients with bladder and ureteral malignancies, two lost the graft possibly from IS reduction and one had BK virus nephropathy prior to diagnosis of bladder carcinoma. In conclusion, screening transplant recipients routinely for persistent microscopic hematuria may identify urologic malignancies in renal transplant recipients.     

The outcome of post-transplant transitional cell carcinoma in 10 renal transplant recipients

At our clinic we followed 320 renal transplant recipients, 16 of whom developed malignancies within 15 yr. Ten of the 16 malignancies were transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary tract. The modalities of treatment included standard nephroureterectomy with bladder cuff removal for upper tract tumor, transurethral resection for superficial bladder tumor and partial cystectomy for one case of invasive bladder tumor, as requested by the patient. Post-operative intravesical chemotherapy with epirubicin, or immunotherapy with bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) were carried out for superficial bladder tumor. Cyclosporine (CsA) used as post-transplant immunosuppressant was switched to low dose azathioprine (Aza) at the initial diagnosis of TCC. Four patients experienced tumor recurrence despite conversion of immunosuppressant from CsA to Aza. Among these 10 patients, five maintained normal renal function, three returned to hemodialysis without tumor recurrence, and two patients died of cancer.     

Management of patients with upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma

Multiple therapeutic options are available for the management of patients with upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). Radical nephroureterectomy with an ipsilateral bladder cuff is the gold-standard therapy for upper-tract cancers. However, less invasive alternatives have a role in the treatment of this disease. Endoscopic management of upper-tract TCC is a reasonable strategy for patients with anatomic or functional solitary kidneys, bilateral upper-tract TCC, baseline renal insufficiency, and significant comorbid diseases. Select patients with a normal contralateral kidney who have small, low-grade lesions might also be candidates for endoscopic ablation. Distal ureterectomy is an option for patients with high-grade, invasive, or bulky tumors of the distal ureter not amenable to endoscopic management. In appropriately selected patients, outcomes following distal ureterectomy are similar to that of radical nephroureterectomy. Bladder cancer is a common occurrence following the management of upper-tract TCC. Currently, there are no variables that consistently predict which patients will develop intravesical recurrences. As such, surveillance with cystoscopy and cytology following surgical management of upper-tract TCC is essential. Extrapolating from data on bladder TCC, both regional lymphadenectomy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens are likely to be beneficial for patients with upper-tract TCC, particularly in the setting of bulky disease.     

肾移植术后并发泌尿系统恶性肿瘤22例

目的 分析肾移植受者泌尿系统恶性肿瘤的发病情况,并探讨其发病机理及治疗方法.方法 回顾性分析1978年至2010年12月间肾移植受者发生泌尿系统恶性肿瘤22例的资料.结果 22例的病理检查结果分别为膀胱移行上皮细胞癌9例(其中1例第3次手术后发现转化为腺癌),膀胱鳞状细胞癌1例,膀胱腺癌1例,肾透明细胞癌3例(其中2例为双侧肾癌),肾低分化癌1例,肾盂移行细胞癌1例,肾盂+膀胱移行细胞癌1例,输尿管移行细胞癌2例,输尿管+膀胱移行细胞癌2例,输尿管移行细胞癌+膀胱腺癌1例.肾癌及输尿管癌均发生在患者原肾及输尿管.11例膀胱癌患者中9例存活,均保有全部或部分肾功能;4例肾癌患者均在发病后半年内死亡;肾盂癌、输尿管癌除2例术后早期死亡外,其余5例存活.22例发现肿瘤后1年存活率为73.7%.结论 肾移植后泌尿系统恶性肿瘤可见少见的病理类型.治疗中应注意免疫抑制剂的使用和移植肾功能保护的问题.肾实质性恶性肿瘤预后很差.

Abstract：

Objective To investigate the incidence of urological malignancy in renal allograft recipients and explore the mechanism of increased incidence in China and the management. Methods A retrospective study was performed on 22 patients with urological malignancy in renal allograft recipients between 1978 and 2010. Results Twenty-two cases of urological malignancy were diagnosed by pathologic evidence, including 9 cases of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of bladder, 1 case of squamous cell carcinoma of bladder, 1 case of adenocarcinoma of bladder, 1 case of TCC of pelvis, 1 case of TCC of bladder and pelvis, 1 case of TCC of ureter complicated with adenocarcinoma of bladder, 2 cases of TCC of ureter, 2 cases of TCC of ureter and bladder, 3 cases of clear cell carcinoma of kidney, and 1 case of undifferentiated carcinoma of kidney. All the malignancies belonged to native organs. All the patients suffering bladder cancer had normal function of allograft. Five patients with TCC of pelvis or ureter survived and 2 cases died early after operation. All the patients suffering renal carcinoma deceased within 6 months after diagnosis. One-year survival rate was 73. 7 % after the diagnosis of urological malignancy. Conclusion Urological malignancy ranked highest in malignancy in renal allograft recipients, and rare pathological types of urological malignancy in non-renal allograft recipients are often demonstrated. The strategy of treatment should take consideration of the relationship between the usage of immunosupressive agents and the preservation of allograft function. It is critical for the therapy of malignancies to possess satisfactory allograft function. The prognosis of renal cell carcinoma is poor.     

Bladder tumor recurrence after primary surgery for transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract

OBJECTIVE: Primary transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the upper urinary tract represents 6-8% of all TCC cases. Nephroureterectomy with removal of a bladder cuff is the treatment of choice. The rates of TCC recurrence in the bladder after primary upper urinary tract surgery described in the literature range between 12.5 and 37.5%. In a retrospective analysis we examined the occurrence of TCC after nephroureterectomy for upper tract TCC in patients without a previous history of bladder TCC at the time of surgery. METHODS: Between 1990 and 2002, 29 patients underwent primary nephroureterectomy for upper tract TCC. The mean age of the patients was 69.5 years. In 5 cases upper urinary tract tumors were multilocular, in the remaining cases unilocular in the renal pelvis (n=12) or the ureter (n=12). The follow-up was available for 29 patients with a mean follow-up of 3.37 (0.1-11.2) years. RESULTS: 11/29 (37.9%) patients had TCC recurrence with 9/11 patients having bladder TCC diagnosed within 2.5 years (0.9-6.0) after nephroureterectomy. 13/29 patients are alive without TCC recurrence, 3/29 patients died due to systemic TCC progression and 5/29 died of unrelated causes without evidence of TCC recurrence. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate a high incidence of bladder TCC after nephroureterectomy for primary upper tract TCC of up to 6 years after primary surgery. Because of the high incidence of bladder TCC within the first 3 years of surgery, careful follow-up is needed over at least this period.     

输尿管肾镜术处理上尿路血尿

目的　提高上尿路血尿的诊治水平。　方法　血尿病例 12 1例 ,经B超、KUB加IVU、CT及膀胱镜检查怀疑为上尿路来源 ,行输尿管肾镜进一步明确诊断并采取相应治疗措施。　结果　输尿管肾镜术对上尿路血尿的诊断率为 92 % (111/ 12 1) ,诊断输尿管中下段小结石 4 5例 ;肾盂输尿管肿瘤 32例 ,其中 <10mm者 3例 ;肾出血性疾病 19例 ;输尿管息肉 15例。 19例肾出血性疾病和 10例未发现明确病灶者治疗后随访 6个月～ 8年 ,长期成功率 79% (2 3/ 2 9)。　结论　应用输尿管肾镜术诊断和处理上尿路血尿效果良好 ,值得推广。     

Transperitoneal laparoscopic nephroureterectomy for native upper tract urothelial carcinoma in renal transplant recipients

Purpose

To analyze the safety and clinical outcome of laparoscopic nephroureterectomy (LNUT) for native upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UC) in renal transplant (RT) recipients.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 956 RT recipients from January 2003 to December 2010 to evaluate the benefit of LNUT for patients who were diagnosed with de novo UC after renal transplantation.

Results

Women predominated (10/11, 91 %) in the 11 patients with upper tract UC who underwent LNUT. Five patients underwent LNUT ipsilateral to the transplanted kidney, 4 patients underwent contralateral LNUT, and 2 patients underwent bilateral LNUT. Nine were operated with LNUT combining resection of bladder cuff, 2 with right ureteral cancer underwent open ureterectomy with bladder cuff due to severe adhesions attached to the lesion. The mean surgical duration was 184.2 min (105–305), the mean blood loss was 182.3 ml (20–500), and the mean hospitalization time was 6.7 days (5–9). The mean levels of preoperative and postoperative serum creatinine were 0.99 mg/dl (0.78–1.16) and 1.01 mg/dl (0.89–1.18), respectively. No intraoperative complications occurred. One patient died of multiple metastases at 13 months after LNUT. The mean follow-up of the remaining 10 patients after diagnosis was 21.7 months (3–48). Two patients had recurrent bladder cancer and underwent transurethral resection of the tumor. Eight patients showed no evidence of disease during the follow-up.

Conclusions

LNUT is a safe and effective approach with low morbidity in transplant recipients, and this therapy provides less trauma, quicker recovery, and acceptable oncological outcomes.     

A comparison of the pathology of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and upper urinary tract

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the histopathological patterns of upper and lower urinary tract transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs), as previous reports suggest that upper urinary tract TCCs have a greater tendency towards high-grade disease than bladder TCCs, of which most are low-grade and low-stage tumours. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients presenting with TCC of bladder or upper urinary tract between February 1991 and December 2001 at one institution were identified. Further patient information was obtained from the hospital database and case-note review. RESULTS: In all, 164 patients with upper urinary tract TCC and 2197 with bladder TCC were identified. There was a correlation between grade and stage of both upper urinary tract and bladder TCCs. 35% of the upper tract TCCs were classified as grade 2 and 44% as grade 3, while for bladder TCCs, 31% of lesions were classified as grade 2 and 35% as grade 3 (P = 0.003). Of the upper urinary tract lesions 33% were stage pT2-T4, compared with only 20% of bladder TCCs (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Upper urinary tract TCC is a higher grade and stage disease than bladder cancer, a finding that emphasizes the need for aggressive treatment of upper urinary tract TCC. If endourological management of upper urinary tract TCC is considered, histopathological determination of tumour grade before treatment is essential.     

上尿路移行细胞癌的诊断与治疗（附39例报告）

目的探讨上尿路移行细胞癌的诊治方法。方法回顾性分析39例上尿路移行细胞癌患者的临床表现及诊治方法。结果39例患者均行手术治疗,术后病理检查证实29例为肾盂移行细胞癌,10例为输尿管移行细胞癌。通过B超、静脉尿路造影（IVU）、逆行肾盂造影、CT、尿脱落细胞学及输尿管镜等检查,术前诊断符合率为92.3%（36/39）。35例患者获得随访6个月-12年,6例术后出现膀胱移行细胞癌,5例死于肿瘤进展。结论B超、IVU、CT可作为上尿路肿瘤的常规检查,IVU显影不佳时逆行肾盂造影可作补充,输尿管镜配合组织活检准确性极高。根治性肾输尿管切除术效果较好,术后应行膀胱灌注治疗及定期膀胱镜检查。     

Conservative elective treatment of upper urinary tract tumors: a multivariate analysis of prognostic factors for recurrence and progression

PURPOSE: We evaluate the safety and efficacy of conservative elective treatment of upper urinary tract tumors, and determine predictive factors for recurrence and progression to optimize indications of this type of treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Since 1984 we have performed a prospective study of conservative treatment of single, low grade and stage, less than 3 cm. upper tract tumors. The study includes 54 patients with a normal contralateral kidney who had been followed for more than 36 months. Open conservative surgery was performed in 31 cases and endourological surgery in 23. Minimum followup was 36 months, maximum 210 and mean 84.8. Univariate and multivariate analyses of recurrence and progression were performed in relation to age, sex, association with a bladder tumor, bladder tumor stage and grade, sequence of bladder tumor in relation to upper urinary tract tumor, number of previous bladder tumor recurrences, association with bladder carcinoma in situ, upper urinary tract tumor grade, stage, location, size and therapy, and upper urinary tract cytology. RESULTS: Of the 54 patients 19 (35%) had recurrence, which was bilateral recurrence in 4, and progression occurred in 9 (16%). At the end of analysis 44 (62.9%) patients were disease-free and alive at a mean time of 92.88 months, 13 (24%) died disease-free at a mean of 72.7 months and 7 (12.9%) died of disease at a mean of 97.85 months. Cause specific mortality occurred in 7 (12.9% cases). Among the 54 initially conservatively treated units 42 (77.7%) kidneys were ultimately preserved. On univariate and multivariate analysis tumor location in the renal pelvis and association with a previous multi-recurrent bladder tumor were variables significantly related to recurrence and progression, as well as bilateral recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Conservative treatment is an optional approach for select upper urinary tract tumors. The strongest risk factors for recurrence and progression were association with a previous multi-recurrent bladder tumor and tumor location in the renal pelvis but these conditions were also the strongest risk factors for bilateral recurrence. Conservative treatment can also be recommended in these cases but only with compliant patients and close followup.     

Elective management of transitional cell carcinoma of the distal ureter: can kidney-sparing surgery be advised?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the long-term oncological outcome of patients with primary transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the distal ureter electively treated with either kidney-sparing surgery (KSS) or radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) in a retrospective, non-randomized, single-centre study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Of 43 consecutive patients with a primary solitary distal ureter TCC, 19 had KSS, consisting of distal ureter resection with bladder cuff excision and ureter reimplantation, and 24 had RNU with bladder cuff excision. RESULTS: The median (range) age at surgery was 69 (31-86) years for the KSS group and 73 (59-87) years for the RNU group, patients in the latter having worse hydronephrotic kidneys. The median (range) follow-up was 58 (3-260) months. A recurrent bladder tumour was diagnosed after a median of 15 months in five of the 19 patients treated by KSS and after a median of 5.5 months in eight of the 24 treated by RNU. Five of the 19 patients treated by KSS and six of the 24 treated by RNU died from metastatic disease despite chemotherapy. Recurrence-free, cancer-specific and overall survival were comparable in the two groups. In two patients (11%) treated by KSS an ipsilateral upper urinary tract TCC recurred after 42 and 105 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: Treatment by distal ureteric resection is feasible in patients with primary TCC of the distal ureter. The long-term oncological outcome seems to be comparable with that of patients treated by RNU. Furthermore, kidney preservation is advantageous if adjuvant or salvage chemotherapy is required.     

Urothelial cancer after renal transplantation: an update

According to the Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplantation (ANZDATA) 2010 Annual Report, cancer is surpassing cardiovascular diseases as the leading cause of posttransplantation death. Skin cancer and posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) are 2 cancers in Western countries. However, urothelial cancer happens much more frequently among Chinese people. We reviewed our experience in Congress of the Asian Society of Transplantation (CAST) 2005, including 10 urothelial cancers, among 620 renal transplant recipients. In this report, we have presented our updated data. From July 1981 to May 2011, we performed 770 renal transplantations followed by graft and native kidney sonography annually even among asymptomatic cases using the protocol described in CAST 2005. During this period, 35 urothelial tumors were detected, ie, 25 new cases were identified in 6 years. These 35 cases included 7 cases with bilateral upper tract involvement and 5 of them with bladder tumors. Seven patients had bladder cancer alone. In 19 patients, 22 ureteral cancers included 1 that grew from the graft ureter, 17 (77.3%) patients showed hydronephrosis by sonography. We performed 13 bilateral nephroureterectomies; 2 were known to have bilateral upper tract cancer. Four of the other 11 were found to have insidious tumors. In contrast, 2 of the 15 initial unilateral nephroureterectomy patients underwent a subsequent contralateral nephroureterectomy due to a tumor. The pattern of urethral cancer in renal transplant recipients is thoroughly different, including female predominance, and a higher incidence of upper tract involvement. We emphasize the necessity of routine periodic sonographic survey even among asymptomatic patients for early detection of a urothelial tumor.     

Superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the ureteral orifice: Higher risk of developing subsequent upper urinary tract tumors

AIM: Reports specifically addressing transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the ureteral orifice are scarce. This paper presents our experiences of such tumors, including the characteristics of the disease and the incidence of subsequent upper urinary tract recurrence. METHODS: This study included 572 new cases of TCC of the urinary bladder diagnosed in our institute during a period of 5 years. Thirty-one (5.4%) patients had superficial tumors involving ureteral orifices. All 31 patients underwent transurethral resection of the bladder tumors, including the involved ureteral orifices. After the surgery, patients received regular follow up with cystourethroscopy, urine cytology and periodic intravenous pyelography (IVP). Ureterorenoscopy was performed in cases of suspicious IVP or urine cytology findings. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients with superficial tumors involving the ureteral orifice were followed up for 5-8 years or until death. The pathological stage was Ta in 16 cases and T1 in 15 cases. Bladder tumor recurrence was noted in three (18.8%) of the pTa patients and in seven (46.7%) of the pT1 patients. Subsequent upper urinary tract tumors developed in four (12.9%) patients between 33 and 67 months (mean: 33.5) after the first transurethral resection. All four cases of upper tract recurrence had pT1 primary bladder tumor, which recurred for 1-3 times (mean 1.8) before upper tract recurrence. None of these patients had ureteral stenting after bladder tumor resection. Three of four patients with upper tract recurrence had single lower ureteral tumor, while the remaining one patient had multiple tumors. Patients with subsequent upper urinary tract tumors underwent nephroureterectomy and bladder cuff excision. One died of the disease; the other three cases were free of the disease after the therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with primary superficial bladder transitional cell carcinoma involving the ureteral orifice have a higher risk of developing subsequent upper urinary tract tumors, particularly for pT1 primary bladder tumors. Frequent and close follow up is recommended.     

Transitional cell carcinoma in dialysis patients

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to determine whether there is an increased incidence of urothelial cancer, especially transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), in uremic patients on dialysis. METHODS: Retrospective chart analyses were completed for 1,910 uremic patients undergoing maintenance dialysis between January 1987 and December 1997. The incidence of urinary tract cancer was assessed. Only the patients with cancers diagnosed after start of dialysis were enrolled in the study. RESULTS: Of the 1,910 patients, 70 had concomitant urinary tract cancers. Nineteen patients (0.99%), including 17 patients with TCC and 2 patients with renal cell carcinoma, were diagnosed after the initiation of dialysis. The average duration from dialysis to TCC diagnosis was 38.3 (range 2-144) months. Painless gross hematuria was the cardinal symptom in 16 of the 17 patients with TCC. In the 17 patients with TCC, no distant metastases were found at the time of diagnosis. Fourteen patients (82.3%) were stage 0 or A, and 1 patient was stage B1. CONCLUSIONS: The 0.89% incidence of TCC in our dialysis patients was high as compared with that of the general population. The risks of developing urinary TCC in dialysis patients were examined, and we suggest that immunosuppressive stage, dialysis procedure, and chronic bladder irritation (decreased urinary wash effect) may play a part in the development of urinary TCC in dialysis patients. Early detection of hematuria due to regular visits and decreased exposure of urinary tract epithelium to carcinogens from urine may explain why early-stage TCC was seen in most of our patients.