Tumours of the Urinary System Flashcards
Where do you get urothelial cancer?
Bladder
Upper tract (i.e. ureter, renal pelvis and collecting system) - UTUC
FROM THE RENAL CALYCES TO THE TIP OF THE URETHRA
What are urothelial tumours?
Malignant tumours of the lining transitional cell epithelium (urothelium)
What is the commonest site for urothelial tumours? What % occurs here?
Bladder
90%
Types of bladder cancer
Transitional cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma
Adenocarcinoma
What is the commonest type of bladder cancer in the UK?
Transitional cell carcinoma
Where is squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder common?
In areas where schistosomiasis is endemic
Risk factors for TCC of bladder
Smoking (40% of cases)
Aromatic amines
Non hereditary genetic abnormalities (e.g. TSG including p53 and Rb)
Risk factors for SCC of the bladder
Schistosomiasis (H. haematobium only)
Chronic cystitis (e.g. recurrent UTI, long term catheter, bladder stone)
Cyclophosphamide therapy
Pelvic radiotherapy
Risk factors for adenocarcinoma of the bladder
Urachal
Presentation of bladder cancer
Painless visible haematuria
Symptoms due to invasive or metastatic disease (occasionally)
Recurrent UTI
Storage bladder symptoms
- dysuria, frequency, nocturia, urgency +/- urge incontinence
- bladder pain
Types of haematuria
Frank
Microscopic
Investigations of bladder cancer
Cystoscopy and endoscopic resection (TURBT)
EUA
- to assess bladder mass/thickening before and after TURBT
Staging of bladder cancer
Cross sectional imaging (CT, MRI)
Bone scan if symptomatic
CTU for upper tract TCC
Grades of TCC
G1 = Well differentiated - commonly non invasive
G2 = moderately differentiated - often non invasive
G3 = Poorly differentiated - often invasive
Carcinoma in situ (CIS) - non muscle invasive but VERY aggressive
Treatment of bladder cancer
Endoscopic or radical
TA OR T1 - IN THE BLADDER, LOW GRADE NON MUSCLE INVASIVE
- endoscopic resection followed by single instillation of intravesical chemotherapy within 24 hours
- prolonged endoscopic follow up for moderate grade tumours
- consider prolonged course of intravesical chemotherapy (6 weeks) for repeated recurrences
HIGH GRADE NON MUSCLE INVASIVE OR CIS
- endoscopic resection (alone not sufficient)
- CIS consider intravesical BCG therapy (weekly for 3 weeks then repeated 6 monthly over 3 years)
- patients refractory to BCG - need radical surgery
MUSCLE INVASIVE BLADDER CANCER
- neoadjuvant chemotherapy
- followed by radial radiotherapy and/or
- radical cystoprostatectomy (men) or anterior pelvic exenteration with urethrectomy (women); with extended lymphadenectomy
- Radical surgery combined with incontinent urinary diversion (i.e ileal conduit), continent diversion (e.g. bowel pouch with catherterisable stoma) or orthotopic bladder substitution
What % risk do patients with high grade non muscle invasive or CIS bladder cancer have of progression to the muscle invasive stage?
50-80%
What does the prognosis of bladder cancer depend on?
Stage Grade Size Multifocality Presence of concurrent CIS Recurrence at 3 months
What is the 5 year survival of non invasive, low grade bladder TCC?
90%
What is the 5 year survival of invasive, high grade bladder TCC?
50%
Presentation of upper tract TCC
Frank haematuria
Unilateral ureteric obstruction
Flank or loin pain
Symptoms of nodal of metastatic disease
What are some symptoms of nodal or metastatic disease from an upper tract TCC?
Bone pain
Hypercalcaemia
Lung
Brain
Investigations for upper tract TCC
CT-IVU or IVU
Urine cytology
Ureteroscopy and biopsy
What does CT-IVUs show?
Filling defects in the renal pelvis
What part of the upper tract is most common for getting TCC?
Renal pelvis
Collecting system
Treatment of upper tract TCC
Nephro-uretectomy
If unfit / bilateral disease
- nephron sparing endoscopic treatment (i.e. ureteroscopic laser ablation) = needs regular surveillance ureteroscopy
What is an indication in upper tract TCC for just endoscopic treatment?
Unifocal
Low grade disease
In all cases of upper tract TCC, what needs to be done and why?
Surveillance cystoscopy
High risk of synchronous and metachronous bladder TCC (40% over 10 years)
What is the cause of the majority of cases of painful haematuria?
UTI
What is the commonest neoplastic cause of haematuria?
TCC bladder
Investigations of haematuria
Urine culture Cystourethroscopy CT urogram (IVU) USS BP U and Es
If a patient is > 50 y/o and has frank haematuria, what is the risk of malignancy?
25-35%
Investigations of a > 50 y/o patient presenting with frank haematuria
Flexible cystourethroscopy (within 2 weeks)
IVU and USS
CT urogram and USS
Urine cytology
If a patient is > 50 y/o with microscopic haematuria, what is the risk of malignancy?
5 - 10%
Investigations of a >50 y/o patient with microscopic haematuria
Flexible cystourethroscopy within 4- 6 weeks
IVU and USS
What are the benign renal tumours?
Oncocytoma
Angiomyolipoma