Ureteral cancer is

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

of the

ureter The ureters are tubes made of smooth muscle that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In a human adult, the ureters are usually long and around in diameter. The ureter is lined by urothelial cells, a type of transitional epit ...

s, muscular tubes that propel

urine Urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in humans and in many other animals. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the urinary bladder. Urination results in urine being excreted from the body through the urethra. Cellul ...

from the

kidney The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blo ...

s to the

urinary bladder The urinary bladder, or simply bladder, is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the kidneys before disposal by urination. In humans the bladder is a distensible organ that sits on the pelvic floor. Urine ente ...

. It is also known as ureter cancer,Ureter Cancer
Mayo Clinic renal pelvic cancer, and rarely ureteric cancer or uretal cancer. Cancer in this location is rare. Ureteral cancer becomes more likely in older adults, usually ages 70–80, who have previously been diagnosed with bladder cancer. Ureteral cancer is usually a transitional cell carcinoma. Transitional cell carcinoma is "a common cause of ureter cancer and other urinary (renal pelvic) tract cancers." Because the inside of the ureters and the inside of the bladder contain the same cell type, people who have been diagnosed with ureteral cancer are more likely to also be diagnosed with bladder cancer, and vice versa. Ureteral cancer oftentimes doesn't present with any unusual symptoms until the cancer has progressed. Once the cancer has progressed it often causes

hematuria Hematuria or haematuria is defined as the presence of blood or red blood cells in the urine. “Gross hematuria” occurs when urine appears red, brown, or tea-colored due to the presence of blood. Hematuria may also be subtle and only detectable w ...

, frequent urination,

nocturia Nocturia is defined by the International Continence Society (ICS) as “the complaint that the individual has to wake at night one or more times for voiding (''i.e. to urinate'').” The term is derived from Latin ''nox, night'', and Greek '' �α ...

, and many other urination problems, as well as unusual weight loss and fatigue. It has not become clear to doctors what specifically causes this disease but there are many well known risk factors, many of which are common to a variety of cancers. A diagnosis can be made in different ways, but some of the most common diagnostic tools are intravenous pyelography and computed tomography urography. Once a diagnosis is made, there are many different treatment methods, which will be dependent upon the nature of the cancer and the patient's wishes.

Symptoms

Ureter cancer rarely causes problems in the early stages, but as the cancer progresses, there are often side effects.

Symptom Signs and symptoms are the observed or detectable signs, and experienced symptoms of an illness, injury, or condition. A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature than normal, raised or lowered blood pressure or an abnormality showi ...

s of ureteral cancer may include "blood in the urine (

); diminished urine stream and straining to void (caused by urethral stricture); frequent urination and increased nighttime urination (

); hardening of tissue in the perineum, labia, or penis;

itch Itch (also known as pruritus) is a sensation that causes the desire or reflex to scratch. Itch has resisted many attempts to be classified as any one type of sensory experience. Itch has many similarities to pain, and while both are unpleasant ...

ing;

incontinence Incontinence or Incontinent may refer to: *Fecal incontinence, the involuntary excretion of bowel contents * Urinary incontinence, the involuntary excretion of urine * Lack of moderation or self-control, especially related to sexual desire - see ...

; pain during or after sexual intercourse (

dyspareunia Dyspareunia ( ) is painful sexual intercourse due to medical or psychological causes. The term ''dyspareunia'' covers both female dyspareunia and male dyspareunia, but many discussions that use the term without further specification concern the ...

); painful urination (

dysuria Dysuria refers to painful or uncomfortable urination. It is one of a constellation of ''irritative'' bladder symptoms (also sometimes referred to as lower urinary tract symptoms), which includes nocturia and urinary frequency. Diagnosis The c ...

); recurrent

urinary tract infection A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that affects part of the urinary tract. When it affects the lower urinary tract it is known as a bladder infection (cystitis) and when it affects the upper urinary tract it is known as a kidne ...

; urethral discharge and swelling".Urethral Cancer
Department of Urology, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine Other common symptoms associated with ureteral cancer may include back pain, unexplained weight loss, and unusual fatigue.

Causes and risk factors

The exact causes of ureteral cancer are not clear. However, it is known that patients with a history of bladder cancer are more likely to develop ureteral cancer because both cancers contain the same cell type. As with other cancers, the cells lining the ureter undergo a DNA mutation resulting in abnormal growth of cells without programmed cell death; this eventually leads to blockage of the ureter and possibly other body parts if left untreated. The risk of developing ureteral cancer increases with age. In addition to increasing age, previous bladder or kidney cancer diagnoses may also increase the risk of developing ureteral cancer. HNPCC (

hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) or Lynch syndrome is an autosomal dominant genetic condition that is associated with a high risk of colon cancer as well as other cancers including endometrial cancer (second most common), ovary, ...

), also known as lynch syndrome, leads to an increased risk of developing ureteral cancer, as well as various other cancers such as colon cancer. Aside from genetic factors and predisposition to developing cancer, there are also a few environmental factors and lifestyle choices that may significantly escalate the chances of being diagnosed with ureteral cancer. For example, taking an overabundance of pain medications such as phenacetin, a probable carcinogen, can lead to an increased risk. Exposure to certain chemicals used to produce leather goods, plastics, rubber, etc. have also been proven to influence the likeliness of developing ureteral cancer. As with many other types of cancer,

tobacco smoking Tobacco smoking is the practice of burning tobacco and ingesting the resulting smoke. The smoke may be inhaled, as is done with cigarettes, or simply released from the mouth, as is generally done with pipes and cigars. The practice is beli ...

is also associated with an increased risk of ureteral cancer.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis may include a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) test,

computed tomography urography A computed tomography urography (CT urography or CT urogram) is a computed tomography scan that examines the urinary tract after contrast dye is injected into a vein. In a CT urogram, the contrast agent is through a cannula into a vein, allowe ...

(CTU),

magnetic resonance urography Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves ...

(MRU),

intravenous pyelography Pyelogram (or pyelography or urography) is a form of imaging of the renal pelvis and ureter. Types include: * Intravenous pyelogram – In which a contrast solution is introduced through a vein into the circulatory system. * Retrograde pyelogram � ...

(IVP) x-ray,

ureteroscopy Ureteroscopy is an examination of the upper urinary tract, usually performed with a ureteroscope that is passed through the urethra and the bladder, and then directly into the ureter. The procedure is useful in the diagnosis and treatment of disor ...

,Ureter Cancer Diagnosis
Mayo Clinic or

biopsy A biopsy is a medical test commonly performed by a surgeon, interventional radiologist, or an interventional cardiologist. The process involves extraction of sample cells or tissues for examination to determine the presence or extent of a dise ...

. Before a diagnosis is made, a physical examination and health history will be conducted. This includes questions related to current signs and symptoms, which are used to better understand the presenting condition. Imaging tests such as CTU and IVP are also frequently used, as well as MRU, which is used if CT imaging is not available or suitable for the patient. A procedure called a ureteroscopy is also used to inspect the ureters. During this procedure a thin, lighted tube equipped with a camera is inserted through the urethra and into the bladder, ureter, and renal pelvis. This can also include a biopsy (small sample of tissues collected), which will then be inspected in the laboratory. Less invasive common testing methods include a urine test, a urine cytology test to look for abnormal cells, as well as a urinalysis to check the color of urine and its contents.

Pathology and staging

There are multiple stages of ureteral cancer: 0, I, II, III, and IV. Stage 0 can be divided into stages 0a and 0is and occurs when abnormal cells appear in the tissue lining the inside of the ureter. Stage 0a (noninvasive papillary carcinoma) is when long, thin growths extend from the tissue lining the ureter. Stage 0is (carcinoma in situ) is a flat tumor located on the tissue lining. * Stage I is classified as cancer formation and the spread from the tissue lining inside the ureter to the connective tissue layer. * Stage II is when the cancer spreads to the ureter muscle. * Following Stage II is Stage III, characterized by the cancer spreading from the muscle to the fat surrounding the ureter. * Stage IV is the final stage of ureter cancer and involves the cancer spreading into a surrounding organ, the layer of fat around the kidney, lymph nodes, or other parts of the body (lung, liver, bone, etc.) Other classifications of transitional cell cancer of the ureter include localized, regional, metastatic, and recurrent. Localized means that the cancer has remained at the point of origin (ureter). Regional indicates that the cancer has spread to tissues, lymph nodes, or blood vessels in the vicinity. Metastatic cancer means that it has spread to other parts of the body. Recurrent means that the cancer has returned after treatment has been completed; this can occur in the same location or other parts of the body.

Treatment and management

Treatment methods include

surgery Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pa ...

,Ureteral Cancer
Fox Chase Cancer Center

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemother ...

radiation therapy Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Rad ...

and immunotherapy. Treatment options vary based on the size and location of the tumor, how aggressive the cancer cells are, and the patient's lifestyle and expectations. After a diagnosis of ureteral cancer, surgery is oftentimes recommended to help remove the infected ureter. For early stage ureteral patients, removing only a portion of the ureter can be successful, whereas in more advanced cases full removal of the ureter as well as the associated kidney (nephroureterectomy) and part of the bladder is sometimes necessary. In less advanced cases where the cancer is only on the surface of the ureter, electrosurgery or laser therapy may be performed to remove the affected cells. Electrosurgery uses an electric current, whereas laser therapy involves passing a ureteroscope through the bladder and into the urethra where a beam of the laser is used to destroy the cells.

Chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemother ...

has many different uses in treating ureteral cancer. Prior to surgery, chemotherapy is sometimes used to help shrink the tumor so that it can be more easily removed. Chemo may also be used in more advanced cases to control the symptoms and side effects of the cancer. After surgery to remove the tumor, a single dose of chemotherapy injected into the bladder is helpful in reducing the rate of cancer recurrence in people who have cancer of the inner lining of the bladder (upper tract urothelial carcinoma). Serious side effects don't seem to be increased by chemotherapy. Advanced ureteral cancer cases may often be treated with immunotherapy when other treatment methods are not successful. Immunotherapy uses the body's own immune system to fight the cancer by helping the immune system to recognize these cancer cells as foreign.

Epidemiology

Between 1988 and 2001 in the United States, cancer surveillance reports to the

Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is a source of epidemiologic information on the incidence and survival rates of cancer in the United States. The Program SEER collects and pub ...

(SEER) program of the

National Cancer Institute The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. T ...

included 1,333 cases of ureteral cancer in adults: 808 male and 525 female, 1,158

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

and 42

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

. "Five-year relative survival rates from cancers of the ureter were similar among males vs. females..." Of the total, 1,251 (94%) were transitional cell carcinoma of the papillary type. It has been determined that transitional cell carcinoma is twice as common in Caucasian men when compared to African-American men. As mentioned by the National Cancer Institute, most cases of ureter cancer occur in the US, Canada, Northern Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Less common areas for ureter cancer diagnosis are Thailand, China, and the Philippines.

References

External links

Transitional Cell Cancer (Kidney/Ureter)
National Cancer Institute {{Urologic neoplasia Rare cancers Urological neoplasia