[Tumors of the upper urinary tract. Our experience]

To study the clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and evolution of upper urinary tract tumours.

We carried out a retrospective study on the upper urinary tract tumours treated in our centre, HCU Valladolid, between 1994 and 2007.

65 tumours were diagnosed, although only 59 were valid for the study. Mean patient age was 68 years (interval between 46 and 88 years). 47 were men and 12 women. The most common symptom on presentation was hematuria (79.9%). Urography was the most frequently used diagnostic technique (96.6%) and nephroureterectomy with transurethral resection of the intramural ureter was the most common surgical treatment performed, carried out in 28 cases. 9 patients underwent percutaneous treatment with only one recurrence, and 2 patients received ureteroscopic treatment. 50.9% of the lesions were classified as superficial tumours. The 5 and 10-year survival rates were 55 and 47%.

Upper urinary tract tumours are an unusual disease characteristic of medium-advanced ages. Nowadays nephroureterectomy by open surgery or laparoscopy is the standard treatment. Conservative endoscopic procedures have more and more importance and present excellent results in highly selected cases.