5-Year Survival Rate and Prognostic Factors in Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Upper Urinary Tract

Woo, Joong Won; Lee, Chang Kyu; Rhew, Hyun Yul

Abstract

PURPOSE: Transitional cell carcinoma involving upper urinary tract is relatively uncommon. We analyzed 5-year survival rate and prognostic factors in transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Survival and prognostic factors were assessed with histopathological examination in 32 patients operated between 1985 and 1995. Patient age ranged from 34 to 87 years, with an average of 63.3 years. Prognostic factors such as stage, grade, age, location of tumor, patient's status, urine cytology, and synchronous and metachronous bladder tumor were investigated.
RESULTS
The 2-year and 5-year survival rates were 45% and 32%, respectively. The most significant prognostic factors were stage and grade. Pathologically, 18.7% of the patients were stage T1, 21.9% stage T2, 28.1% stage T3 and 31.3% stage T4, and 5 years survival rates of 32 patients were l00%, 71%, 0% and 0% for stage Tl, T2, T3 and T4 disease, respectively. Histologically, 9.4% of patients had grade l, 40.6% grade ll, 25.0% grade lll and 25.0% grade lV disease, and 5-year survival rates of patients were 100%, 56%, 0% and 0% for grade l to lV disease, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
This finding suggests that early diagnosis and surgical excision of the upper urinary tract tumor will result in excellent outcome but prognosis of high stage and high grade tumor was poor. Therefore, high stage and high grade tumor is required effective adjuvant therapy for improvement of survival.