Carcinoma of the urethra: radiation oncology

Urethral cancer is a rare but aggressive neoplasm. Early-stage distal lesions can be successfully treated with a single modality. Results for definitive radiotherapy using either or both external beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy have shown excellent cure rates in men and women. The primary advantage of radiotherapy is organ preservation. Advanced tumors, however, have poor outcomes with single modality treatment. Results have been improved using a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, chiefly 5-fluorouracil and mitomycin C. Although literature is limited to case reports because of the rarity of the disease, the markedly improved results compared with older results of surgery with or without radiation warrant consideration.