[Tumors of the upper urinary tract: results of conservative surgery]

To determine the results of conservative surgery for upper urinary tract urothelial tumours.

From 1986 to 1997, 352 patients were treated in the Belgrade urology clinic for upper urinary tract urothelial tumour. 54 patients (15.3%) were treated by conservative surgery. The sex ratio was 1.3 men for 1 woman. The mean age was 63 years. In most cases, the tumour was situated in the ureter. Conservative surgery was performed on principle in 60% of patients for a small isolated lesion (solitary low-stage, low-grade tumour). In contrast, in about 40% of cases, conservative surgery was performed by necessity due to the presence of bilateral tumours, a solitary kidney or renal failure related to Balkan nephropathy. The median follow-up was 67.3 months (range: 6 months-14 years).

15.8% of patients developed a local recurrence during the follow-up period. The risk of recurrence was higher when conservative surgery was performed for indications of necessity than when it was performed on principle (21.7% versus 11.8%), but the difference was not statistically significant (c2 test, t test). The stage and grade of differentiation were identified as the most significant predictive factors for the risk of local recurrence. The overall 5-year survival rate was 67% with more favourable results in the case of conservative surgery performed on principle compared conservative surgery by necessity (72% versus 60%). The difference between these results was not statistically significant, but a statistically significant difference was observed for tumour stage and grade (grade III versus grade I and II, pT3 versus pT1, pT2). The 5-year survival probability was 68.5%. Recurrence was most likely to occur during the early postoperative course, as 81.56% occurred during the first 18 months.

Urothelial tumours can be managed conservatively. However, the risk of recurrence is directly correlated with the tumour stage and grade, with a high level of statistical significance, and with the type of indication for conservative surgery performed, but with no statistically significant difference.