THE CLINICAL STUDY ON 96 CASES OF UROEPITHELIAL CANCER OF UPPER URINARY TRACT

We had experienced 568 cases of uroepithelial cancer in 18 years from Jan. 1965 to Dec. 1982. Of the 568 cases, 90 (16.9%) had primary upper urinary tract tumor with (19pts) or without (71pts) concomitant bladder cancer, and remaining 6 were the cases in whom uroepithelial cancer recurred heterotopically in the upper urinary tract following the treatment of primary bladder cancer. Primary upper urinary tract tumor seems to develop at rather younger age than primary bladder tumor in both the spontaneous cancer group (63.1 vs 63.7) and the occupational cancer group (52.0 vs 53.6). An incidence of uroepithelial cancer at each urinary tract is prevalent in males, however, no sex difference was observed in the cases of bladder tumor following treatment for primary upper urinary tract tumor. This heterotopic recurrence was found in 25.5% of cases at 15 months on the average after surgery. Total nephroureterectomy with a bladder cuff was generally chosen as the method of surgery, but kidney conserving method was performed in 6 cases of ureteral tumor. 3 cases with low grade and/or low stage tumor are alive during 15-115 months without local recurrence and heterotopic recurrence in the urinary tract. The actual 5-year survival rate of upper urinary tract tumor (43.8%) is similar to that of bladder cancer treated by total cystectomy (43.2%).