Percutaneous nephrostomy: its value in obstructive uropathy complicating carcinoma of cervix uterus

Percutaneous nephrostomies (PCN) were performed in 25 patients with uterine cervical malignancy between November 1982 and December 1987 at the Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute. Group 1 consisted of eight patients with untreated disease; group 2 consisted of eight cases with recurrent tumour; and group 3 consisted of nine patients with obstructive uropathy related to previous treatment. Six patients in group 1 subsequently received radical radiotherapy, and two of them were alive and disease free (33%) ten months later. Further active treatment was only possible in two of the patients with recurrence and overall median survival was only 51 days. All patients in group 3 had normalization of their renal function post-nephrostomy and prior to definitive management of the obstruction. We conclude that the technique should be considered in patients who had no previous treatment and in patients with treatment-related complications. Its value in recurrent disease is limited.