Female urethral carcinoma: an analysis of treatment outcome and a plea for a standardized management strategy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate our experience with primary carcinomas of the female urethra, by analysing the impact of tumour variables and treatment on overall, disease-specific, local recurrence- and metastasis-free survival.


METHODS
Between 1958 and 1994, 72 women (median age 60 years, mean 59, range 21-84) with primary urethral carcinoma were identified. They were followed for a median (range) of 85 (0-384) months. The patients were stratified by stage, nodal status, histology, treatment, type of surgery, site of disease, year of diagnosis and smoking habit.


RESULTS
In a univariate analysis, stage, nodal status, type of surgery and site of the disease were important factors for survival and recurrence. In a multivariate analysis, primary stage, nodal status and site of disease were independent predictors of survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Current modalities of treatment are ineffective for local control and survival; new treatment strategies are needed for female urethral cancers.
Dalbagni
G
G
Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
Zhang
Z F
ZF
Lacombe
L
L
Herr
H W
HW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014523:Urethral Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery