Local excision of ureteral tumours

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Oncology

Background:

• Transitional cell ureteral tumours (TCUT) are rare malignancies.
• Treatment decisions for TCUT often involve balancing oncological control with organ preservation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of conservative surgical management for transitional cell ureteral tumours.
• To compare survival rates between local excision and nephroureterectomy for TCUT.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 20 patients with TCUT.
• Surgical exploration and frozen section biopsies guided operative decisions.
• Procedures included segmental ureter resection, ureteroneocystostomy, and nephroureterectomy.

Main Results:

• Conservative procedures (segmental resection or ureteroneocystostomy) were performed in 8 patients.
• Nephroureterectomy was performed in 9 patients.
• 3-year and 10-year survival rates were 66% and 16% for both local excision and nephroureterectomy groups.

Conclusions:

• Local excision of non-invasive, low-grade TCUT is a safe and viable option in selected patients.
• Frozen section analysis is crucial for intraoperative decision-making regarding the extent of surgery.
• Organ-sparing surgery can be considered for TCUT without compromising oncological outcomes.