Clinical and pathological factors predictıve of bladder cancer recurrence in patients with upper tract prımary TCC

To evaluate predictive clinical and histopathological risk factors for bladder cancer recurrence in patients who underwent nephroureterectomy for primary upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma (TCC).

Data of 111 patients, who were diagnosed with upper urinary tract TCC and underwent nephroureterectomy were reviewed A total of 65 patients were included in the study, after excluding 34 patients. Results: Bladder cancer recurrence developed in 20 (30.7%) of the 65 patients under evaluation. The recurrence-free survival rates in the 1^st, 3^rd, and 5^th years were 78.4%, 70.7% and 69.2%, respectively. Lymphovascular invasion and a positive surgical margin were defined as risk factors for bladder cancer recurrence. In addition, patients with multiple tumors and low stage and grade pathology had a high rate of bladder cancer recurrence, although this was not statistically significant.

After nephroureterectomy, a careful follow-up is required in terms of bladder tumor recurrence especially in patients with a positive surgical margin, lymphovascular invasion, low-grade tumors, or multifocal tumors.