Localized urethral cancer in women

The results of treatments for localized carcinoma of the urethra were assessed in 21 consecutive women treated at our institutions over a twenty year period. Only one of the tumors was confined to the distal urethra. Eighty-six percent invaded the periurethral tissues and 24% were known to be associated with regional lymph node metastases. Fifty-seven percent were adenocarcinomas. Five patients refused active therapeutic intervention and expired within one to 30 months following diagnosis. Sixteen patients were treated with extirpative surgery, radiation therapy, or combinations of the two. Four are free of disease at one, four, eleven, and 15 years after treatment. Nine developed pelvic recurrences, two developed pelvic recurrences and distant metastases and one developed distant metastases only from six to 72 months (mean, 19 months) after initial treatment. Eight of these 12 patients died at two to 13 months (mean, 8 months) after secondary treatment, two are alive with residual pelvic tumor, and two are clinically free of disease at 7 and 48 months. Only six patients were known to have distant metastases at the time of death and five of these six had adenocarcinomas. Advanced localized urethral cancer in women is difficult to eradicate and usually fatal.