[A clinical study on tumor of the renal pelvis and the ureter]

The 39 cases of renal pelvic and ureteral tumors treated in our hospital from 1974 to 1983, were reviewed retrospectively. The 39 cases included 15 renal pelvic tumors, 21 ureter tumors and 3 ureteropelvic tumors. The incidence of these tumors was 0.15% among all new outpatients. Sex distribution was 25 males to 14 females, and mean age was 65.2 years old. Hematuria was the most frequent initial symptom and chief complaint. Of the patients, 28.6% had come to our hospital within one month after their initial symptoms appeared. "Filling defect", an important finding of IVP and RP, was revealed most frequently. The positive rate of urine cytology was 33.4%. Histological examination revealed 14 transitional cell carcinoma and 1 papilloma of 15 renal pelvic tumors and 19 transitional cell carcinoma, 1 polyp and 1 metastatic adenocarcinoma of 21 ureter tumors. Operative therapy was performed on 36 patients; 26 by nephroureterectomy with partial cystectomy. Vesical recurrence rate was 18.9%. The 5-year survival rate was 37.4% on renal pelvic tumor and 40.7% on ureter tumor. The factors, high grade, high stage, and ureteropelvic double tumor, which reflect the specificity of the malignant potential, also affected prognosis. In conclusion, post-operative adjuvant therapy was thought to be valuable in the near future.