Tumours of the Urinary System 2 (Bladder and Renal Cancer) Flashcards
Where can urothelial cancer occur? What is the most common site?
At any point along the transitional cell epithelium, from renal calyces to the tip of the urethra
- Most common site is bladder: 90% of cases
What is the most common type of bladder cancer?
- Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC)
- Where Schistosomiasis (infection from parasitic worm) is endemic, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the bladder is most common type (Africa, South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Asia)
What are the risk factors for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder?
- Smoking (accounts for 40%)
- Aromatic amines
- Genetics (TSG, p53, Rb)
What are the risk factors for squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder?
- Schistosomiasis (S. haematobium only)
- Chronic cystitis
- Cyclophosphamide therapy
- Pelvic radiotherapy
How does bladder cancer tend to present?
- Painless visible haematuria (frank or microscopic)
- Metastatic symptoms
- Recurrent UTI
- Storage symptoms: dysuria, frequency, urgency, incontinence
What is frank haematuria? What is microscopic haematuria?
- Frank: reported by patient
- Microscopic: detected by doctor / tests
What investigations should be performed on haematuria that suggests bladder cancer?
- Urine culture (rule out UTI)
- CT urogram / USS
- Cystourethroscopy (visualize the urethra & bladder)
- Urine cytology
What is the risk of malignancy with Frank haematuria? What are some investigations when the patient cites Frank haematuria?
- If >50yrs risk of malignancy is 25-35%
- Flexible cystourethroscopy within 2 weeks
- CT urogram and USS
What is the risk of malignancy with microscopic haematuria? What are some investigations when microscopic haematuria is seen?
If >50yrs risk of malignancy is 5-10%
- Flexible cystourethroscopy within 4-6 weeks
- USS
What investigations are used for staging of bladder cancer?
cross-sectional imaging (CT, MRI)
Bone scan if symptomatic
CT Urography for upper tract TCC
What is the main surgical treatment for bladder cancer?
TURBT
Trans-urethral resection of bladder tumour
What is the main test for diagnosis of bladder cancer? Why?
Cystoscopy / Fluourescent Cystoscopy
- A cystoscopy is a procedure to look inside the bladder using a thin camera called a cystoscope
- Why: permits biopsy and resection of papillary tumours
How are bladder tumours classified?
Graded & Staged (TNM staging) Grades: - G1 = Well diff. - commonly non-invasive - G2 = Mod. diff. - often non-invasive - G3 = Poorly diff. - often invasive
What are the usual treatment plans for low grade non-muscle invasive tumours (Ta & T1) and high grade non-muscle invasive tumours of the bladder?
- Low grade: endoscopic resection followed by single instillation of intravesical chemotherapy within 24 hours
- High grade: Endoscopic resection plus intravesical BCG therapy (maintenance course, weekly for 3 weeks repeated 6 monthly over 3 years)
What is the usual treatment plan for muscle invasive tumours of the bladder? (T2 & T3)
- Neoadjuvant chemotherapy
- radical cystoprostatectomy (men) or anterior pelvic exenteration with urethrectomy (women)
- Urinary Diversion (eg. ileal conduit / catheterizable stoma)