Primary carcinoma of the ureter

Records were reviewed for 44 patients with primary carcinoma of the ureter. The lesion was transitional cell carcinoma in 40 patients, squamous carcinoma in 3 and unclassified carcinoma in 1. The distal ureter was the site of origin in 73 per cent of the patients. The over-all 5-year survival rate of 67 per cent was influenced by the grade and the stage of the tumors, did not have a significant influence on survival. The results suggest that conservative management should be limited to patients with low grade noninvasive tumors confined to the distal ureter. Adjuvant radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy deserves further evaluation in the management of patients with invasive disease.