The Patient Experience with Localized Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer

Treatments for low grade Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma (UTUC) are varied and choosing the best option can be difficult. Physicians oftentimes use variables such as size, focality, location, and renal function to drive decision making. However, attention should be paid to the patient experience and factors that patients deem important.

In our study with hour-long interviews of patients who underwent UTUC treatments, we highlight topics that patients found to be meaningful. Themes included the strong dislike of foley catheters or ureteral stents, the presence/absence of hematuria as a proxy for treatment success, and minimal recall of any shared-decision making when choosing the treatment. We also found patients conflicted about wanting to save their kidneys and weighing this against a treatment course (nephroureterectomy) that was expeditious. A better understanding of the patient experience in UTUC can lead to an improved therapeutic alliance and potentially better outcomes.

Written by: Brian Hu, MD, Department of Urology, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA

Read the Abstract

Login