Outcome of palliative urinary diversion in the treatment of advanced malignancies

BACKGROUND It is unclear whether palliative endourologic or percutaneous urinary diversion in the treatment of advanced cancer provides significant improvement in quality or duration of life. The purpose of this study was to evaluate survival and performance status after endourologic palliative urinary diversion in patients with advanced malignancy and to compare the results for different malignancies. METHODS One hundred three patients with advanced malignancies underwent palliative urinary diversion (stent or nephrostomy) between 1986 and 1997. Ninety‐two patients and 11 patients had bilateral and unilateral obstruction, respectively. Indications, complications, performance status after diversion, and survival for patients with different malignancies were identified and compared. A modified Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) was used for assessment of physical performance. A scale of 0–4 was used: 0) hospitalized until death; 1) bedridden at home, severe pain despite analgesia; 2) moderate disability, moderate pain despite analgesia; 3) mild disability, pain free with medication; and 4) normal. RESULTS The mean age of patients was 68 years. The mean pre‐ and postoperative creatinine levels were 6 mg/dL and 3.3 mg/dL, respectively (P < 0.0001). The median survival and days of hospitalization were 112 and 45, respectively. The median postdiversion KPS score was 2 (range, 0–4), and 15% of patients never left the hospital. Overall, 51% required secondary percutaneous procedures, and 68.4% had complications (minor, 63%; major, 5.4%). CONCLUSIONS Most patients with advanced cancers had poor performance status and survival after diversion. Eighty six percent had cancer‐related symptoms despite the diversion. The average survival was 5 months, 50% of which was spent in the hospital. Primary endourologic procedures had a high failure rate, and additional procedures were required. Cancer 1999;85:998–1003. © 1999 American Cancer Society. Endourologic management of malignant ureteral obstruction has a high surgical failure and complication rate. Furthermore, palliative urinary diversion is associated with poor prognosis in terms of survival and performance status after diversion, regardless of the type of malignancy.