Ureteral cancer

This article is about cancer of the ureter. For cancer of the urethra, see Urethral cancer. For cancer of the uterus, see Uterine cancer.

Ureteral cancer
A cystoscope showing a tumor in the ureters. Here it threatens to completely cut off flow to the ureters.
SpecialtyOncology
Urology
SymptomsBlood in the urine

Ureteral cancer is cancer of the ureters, muscular tubes that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. It is also known as ureter cancer,[1] renal pelvic cancer,[1] and rarely ureteric cancer or uretal cancer. Cancer in this location is rare.[1][2] Ureteral cancer becomes more likely in older adults, usually ages 70–80, who have previously been diagnosed with bladder cancer.[3]

Ureteral cancer is usually a transitional cell carcinoma.[2][4] Transitional cell carcinoma is "a common cause of ureter cancer and other urinary (renal pelvic) tract cancers."[1] 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.[3]

Ureteral cancer oftentimes doesn't present with any unusual symptoms until the cancer has progressed.[5] Once the cancer has progressed it often causes hematuria, frequent urination, nocturia, and many other urination problems, as well as unusual weight loss and fatigue.[6] 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.[7] 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.

  1. ^ a b c d Ureter Cancer, Mayo Clinic
  2. ^ a b Ries LG, Young JL, Keel GE, Eisner MP, Lin YD, Horner MJ, eds. (2007), "Chapter 30: Cancers of Rare Sites", SEER Survival Monograph: Cancer Survival Among Adults: US SEER Program, 1988-2001, Patient and Tumor Characteristics, SEER Program, vol. NIH Pub. No. 07-6215, Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute, pp. 251–262, archived from the original on 10 October 2013, retrieved 18 October 2013
  3. ^ a b "Ureter Cancer | UC Irvine Health | Department of Urology". www.urology.uci.edu. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  4. ^ Transitional Cell Cancer (Kidney/Ureter), National Cancer Institute
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).