Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the urinary tract: a clinicopathological study of 30 pure and mixed cases

Mod Pathol. 2007 Aug;20(8):828-34. doi: 10.1038/modpathol.3800823. Epub 2007 Jun 1.

Abstract

We studied 28 cases of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the bladder, one case in the renal pelvis, and one in the urethra. The mean age of the patients was 67.6 years with 21 (70%) males. Seventeen cases (56.7%) were pure with the remaining mixed with other patterns of carcinoma, including invasive urothelial carcinoma (n=10), invasive adenocarcinoma (n=3), and squamous cell carcinoma (n=2). The surface demonstrated carcinoma in situ (CIS) in six cases, noninvasive high-grade papillary urothelial carcinoma in three cases, and in situ adenocarcinoma in one case. In 19/30 (66%) cases, there was a heavy lymphocytic infiltrate and in the remaining 11/30 (34%) cases a mixed inflammatory infiltrate. None of the 26 cases labeled for EBV-encoded RNA by in situ hybridization. Tumor stages at presentation were: seven cases T1 (23%); 14 cases T2 (47%); seven cases T3 (23%); and two cases T4 (7%). Treatment consisted of radical cystectomy in 13/30 cases (43%); partial cystectomy in 4/30 cases (13%); nephrectomy in one case (3%), and transurethral resection often followed by radiation or chemotherapy in 12/30 (40%) cases. The mean follow up for patients without progression was 31 months. Eight of 27 cases with follow-up (30%) cases had tumor recurrence, with seven patients having metastases. In cases treated with cystectomy, the 5-year actuarial recurrence-free risk was 59% (62 and 57%, for pure and mixed cases, respectively). Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma, whether in pure or mixed form, has a similar prognosis to ordinary urothelial carcinoma when treated by cystectomy. Of the three pure cases treated by chemotherapy, two were free of disease at 4 and 65 months and the third had recurrent disease at 17 months. Given the association of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma with urothelial carcinoma in 47% of our cases and its propensity for multifocality, partial cystectomy would typically be ill advised for lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma.

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Carcinoma / pathology*
  • Carcinoma / therapy
  • Carcinoma in Situ / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / pathology
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Epithelial Cells / pathology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Lymphocytes / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Urologic Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Urologic Neoplasms / therapy