Single-institution experience with primary tumours of the male urethra.
OBJECTIVE
To assess primary tumours of the urethra in males.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed our database from 1986 to 2006 for primary tumours of the male urethra; nine patients with primary tumours of the urethra were analysed and follow-up information was obtained.


RESULTS
Three patients had tumours of the prostatic urethra, two of which had proliferating focal inflammation and one a low-grade, superficial urothelial cancer. All patients were treated successfully with transurethral resection. Six patients had carcinoma of the bulbar or penile urethra, including two with previous local percutaneous radiotherapy for prostate cancer. All had primary surgical excision that was adapted to tumour location and extension. One patient had adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery. All but one patient remain recurrence-free after a median follow-up of 20 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Primary carcinoma of the male urethra is a rare entity. Previous radiotherapy might be a predisposing factor. Local surgical tumour control is essential for long-term survival, but the extent of surgery depends on tumour location and stage. Multimodal therapy might be required to obtain an optimum oncological outcome.
Gillitzer
Rolf
R
Department of Urology, Johannes-Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. gillitze@mail.uni-mainz.de
Hampel
Christian
C
Wiesner
Christoph
C
Hadaschik
Boris
B
Thüroff
Joachim
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D014523:Urethral Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy