Significance of Perioperative Chemotherapy in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Upper and Lower Urinary Tract

Anticancer Res. 2018 Apr;38(4):2241-2245. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.12467.

Abstract

Background/aim: To evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the urinary tract (UT) urothelium, and investigate the utility of perioperative chemotherapy.

Patients and methods: Thirty-three patients diagnosed with SCC in renal pelvis, ureter and bladder at the Kanazawa University between 2007 and 2017 were included in this retrospective study. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates according to cancer stage and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) were determined.

Results: Among the entire cohort, two-year CSS rates were 100%, 75%, 47% and 0% in stages I, II, III and IV, respectively, with a significant correlation between CSS and cancer stage (p=0.0063). Sixteen patients underwent radical surgery, and seven patients received NAC; however, there were no significant differences in CSS rates among patients stratified by NAC (p=0.7043).

Conclusion: Worse cancer stage for SCC of UT urothelium was associated with worse prognosis. Given the poor efficacy of NAC in these patients, surgical treatment should be preferred.

Keywords: Squamous cell carcinoma; bladder; renal pelvis; squamous differentiation; ureter.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / administration & dosage*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* / diagnosis
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* / mortality
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* / surgery
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Kidney Neoplasms* / diagnosis
  • Kidney Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Kidney Neoplasms* / mortality
  • Kidney Neoplasms* / surgery
  • Kidney Pelvis / pathology
  • Kidney Pelvis / surgery
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nephrectomy
  • Perioperative Period
  • Prognosis
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Analysis
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Ureteral Neoplasms* / diagnosis
  • Ureteral Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Ureteral Neoplasms* / mortality
  • Ureteral Neoplasms* / surgery
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / mortality
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / surgery*