Objective: To define the clinicopathological risk factors of intravesical recurrence of primary transitional cell carcinoma of the ureter after surgical intervention.
Methods: Patients with primary carcinoma of the ureter treated between January 2000 and December 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. The intravesical recurrence-free survival rate was calculated using Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate analysis was conducted with Cox's regression.
Results: A total of 104 patients were enrolled, who were followed up for a median of 46 months (13-89 months). Thirty-nine of the patients showed postoperative intravesical recurrence. Urine exfoliative cytology (P=0.000), number of tumors (P=0.006), tumor grade (P=0.039) and co-existence of bladder tumor (P=0.014) were found to independently influence the postoperative intravesical recurrence. Patients with more risk factors had poorer intravesical recurrence-free survival.
Conclusion: Urine exfoliative cytology, number of tumors, tumor grade and co-existence of bladder tumor are independent risk factors for postoperative intravesical recurrence of primary transitional cell carcinoma of the ureter. Close follow-up and rigorous treatment are essential for patients with high risk factors.