The purpose of this article was to identify quality indicators for an optimized management of high-risk upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) requiring radical nephroureterectomy (RNU).
RNU with bladder cuff resection is the standard treatment of high-risk UTUC. For the bladder cuff resection, two main approaches are accepted: transvesical and extravesical. Lymph node dissection following a dedicated template should be performed in all high-risk patients undergoing RNU as it improves tumour staging and possibly survival. Postoperative bladder instillation of single-dose chemotherapy should be administered after RNU to decrease the risk of intravesical tumour recurrence. Perioperative systemic chemotherapy should always be considered for advanced cancers. Although level-1 evidence is available for adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy, neoadjuvant regimens are still being evaluated.
Optimal management of high-risk UTUC requires evidence-based reproducible quality indicators in order to allow guidance and frameworks for clinical practices. Adherence to quality indicators allows for the measurement and comparison of outcomes that are likely to improve prognosis. Based on the literature, we found four evidence-based accepted quality indicators that are easily implementable to improve the management of high-risk UTUC patients treated with RNU: adequate management of the distal ureter/ bladder cuff, template-based lymph node dissection, single-shot postoperative intravesical chemotherapy, and perioperative systemic treatment.
Current opinion in urology. 2021 May 10 [Epub ahead of print]
Frederik König, Shahrokh F Shariat, Pierre I Karakiewicz, Dong-Ho Mun, Michael Rink, Benjamin Pradere
Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria Department of Urology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas, USA Department of Urology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic Division of Urology, Department of Special Surgery, Jordan University Hospital, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan Institute for Urology and Reproductive Health, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia Cancer Prognostics and Health Outcomes Unit, University of Montreal Health Centre, Montreal, Canada.