[Treatment of epithelial tumors of the upper urinary tracts]

The authors present the results of different operative treatments of tumors of the upper urinary tracts (UUT). A total of 116 patients with UUT tumors were examined and treated from 1990 to 2002 (age 19-80 years, mean age 61.3+/- 1.3 years; males 82, females 34). Tumors of the renal pelvis and the ureter were detected in 76 (65.5%) and 40 (34.5%) patients, respectively (8.0 and 4.3% of a total number of patients with tumors of the kidneys and UUT). 107 (92.2%) patients were operated. Nephroureterectomy and ureterectomy with resection of the urinary bladder were performed in 73 (68.2%) patients, TUR of the urinary bladder wall, ureteral ostium with pelvic part of the ureter and nephroureterectomy (including endovideosurgery) in 22 (20.6%), nephroureterocystectomy in 4 (3.7%), resection of the pelvic ureter with Boari's operation in 5 (4.7%), nephroscopy, ureteroscopy with removal of urothelial tumor in 3 (2.8%) patients. Postoperative complications (most of them infectious-inflammatory) developed in 10 (9.3%) patients. Lethality was 0.9%. Tumor recurrences occurred in 27 (25.2%) patients within 5-year follow-up. 15 (14.0%) patients were reoperated. 5-year survival reached 67.0%. Conventional and radical method of treating patients with tumors of the renal pelvis and ureter is nephroureterectomy with urinary bladder resection and its modification. In invasion of the tumor in the muscular layer of the bladder wall surgery should be extended and supplemented with cystectomy. Conservative surgical interventions are indicated in tumors of the sole kidney, bilateral process, benign or surface tumor of the urothelium.