A clinical study of 33 cases of renal pelvic and ureteral tumors

Thirty-three cases of primary renal pelvic and/or ureteral tumors, i.e., 14 renal pelvic tumors, 14 ureteral tumors and 5 renal pelvic and ureteral tumors, treated at our hospital between November, 1976 and August, 1987 are reviewed retrospectively. Tumor occurred on the right side in 18 cases, left side in 14 cases and bilateral in one case. The patients ranged in age from 33 to 77 years (average 65.7 years), the sex ratio was 4.5:1 with male predominance over female. The most frequent symptoms were gross hematuria in 22 cases (67%). Interval from onset of initial symptoms to first visit within one month for 23 cases (70%). The major findings of excretory urograms were non-visualizing kidney in 18 cases (55%) and filling defect in 12 cases (36%). Positive urinary cytology was obtained in 18 cases (55%). Operative therapy was performed in all cases, namely, total nephroureterectomy with partial cystectomy in 21 cases (64%) and nephrectomy with transurethral ureterectomy in 7 cases (21%). Histopathologically, all cases but one case of squamous cell carcinoma were transitional cell carcinoma. Subsequent bladder tumors were found in 10 cases (30%). The overall survival rate at 1, 3 and 5 years were 84%, 68% and 61%, respectively by Kaplan-Meier method. In this series, grade and stage of tumor were the most influential factors for prognosis.