Objective: To present our 10-year experience with patients surgically treated for upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma.
Patients and methods: We reviewed the medical records of 264 patients (218 males and 46 females), aged 37-93 years (mean, 69.5), treated surgically for upper tract transitional cell carcinoma during the period January 1996 to December 2005.
Results: During the mean follow-up of 58 months (range, 12-120), local relapse was diagnosed in 14% of the patients. The mean time to recurrence was 13 months (range, 1-102). The overall mortality was 14%, and the mean survival was 109 months. Survival was significantly influenced by the following parameters: male gender (P = 0.0151), age over 80 years (P = 0.0012), location in both the pelviocaliceal system and the ureter (P = 0.051), a two incision operation (P = 0.0075), grade III (P = 0.0314), stage T3 and T4 (P < 0.0001).
Conclusions: Tumor stage was identified as the most important determinant in predicting recurrence and survival. Other predictors of survival included male gender, age over 80 years, location in the pelviocaliceal system and the ureter, a two incision operation, and high grade.