Tumor stage and grade represent the best established predictors for the prognosis of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). However, controversies still exist regarding the role of tumor necrosis, location, and multifocality in the prognosis of UTUC. We share our experience with 305 patients, reporting on the pathologic features in detail, cancer characteristics, and survival.
We retrospectively reviewed the data from patients who had undergone surgery for UTUC from 1983 to 2013. The tumors were staged according to the 1997 TNM classification and the 3-tiered World Health Organization grading system. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.
A total of 305 patients were eligible for analysis. The 5-year CSS for grade 1, 2, and 3 was 88%, 84%, and 60%, respectively. The CSS for stage pT1, T2, T3, and T4 was 82%, 70%, 62%, and 0%, respectively. On univariate analysis, tumor stage, tumor grade, positive lymph node status, and micropapillary invasion had adverse effects on survival (P = .006, P = .045, P = .01, and P = .005, respectively). On multivariate analysis, only stage and micropapillary variant maintained significance (P = .01). Multicentricity and tumor location affected CSS in the early follow-up period but did not in the late follow-up period. Neither carcinoma in situ nor adverse pathologic variants affected survival.
The tumor stage and presence of a micropapillary variant are of paramount prognostic significance for survival in patients with UTUC. The tumor grade and lymph node status are also good predictors. In our series, multifocality and tumor location affected early and mid-term survival with no significant effects on late survival.
Clinical genitourinary cancer. 2016 May 05 [Epub ahead of print]
Mohamed Mohamed Elawdy, Diaa E Taha, Mohamed A Elbaset, Rasha T Abouelkheir, Yasser Osman
Department of Urology, Ministry of Health, Ibri, Sultanate of Oman. Electronic address: ., Department of Urology, Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt., Department of Urology, Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt., Department of Radiology, Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt., Department of Urology, Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.