title: Upper urinary tract cancer: location is correlated with prognosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate prognostic information of anatomical location in patients with upper tract transitional cell carcinoma (UTTCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of 149 upper tract transitional cell carcinoma (UTTCC) patients from a single institute treated surgically between 1988 and 2003.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Transmural tumor growth (pT3 or pT4) was less common in distally located tumors (33%) compared to mid (44%), proximal ureter (75%) or pyelum tumors (41%). Tumor stage was the best predictor of disease specific survival. Distally located tumors had a significantly better survival than proximally located cancers (median survival 53 months versus 16 months for tumors in the proximal ureter). Bladder cancer was found in 73 (49%) patients. Invasive UTTCC were less likely to be associated bladder cancer (RR 0.66, 95%CI 0.43-0.98). In a multivariate analysis both tumor stage and location in the upper tract were predictive of disease specific survival after UTTCC diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tumor location in the proximal upper tract predicts stage-independent poor prognosis in patients with UTTCC.
authors.affiliation: Department Urology, Netherlands Cancer Institute/Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam. h_vanderpoel@nki.nl
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: van der Poel
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Antonini
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Tinteren
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horenblas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015996:Survival Rate; D014571:Urologic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery