[Carcinomas of the upper urinary tract. With early diagnosis 80-100% of patients survive 5 years].

About 5% of all urothelial cancers develop in the upper urinary tract, i.e. in the ureter or renal pelvis. 40-70% of the tumors appear to be associated with cigarette smoking. The most common symptom seen in ureteral cancer is painless hematuria. The diagnosis is established by radiography and endoscopy. The most important diagnostic aids are urinary status, ultrasonography, excretory urography, ureteropyelography and endoscopy. Owing to the fact that this tumor entity is often multifocal, cystoscopy to exclude involvement of the bladder is mandatory. Superficial "low-grade" tumor stages can be treated endoscopically, in particular in the case of patients with only a single kidney or bilateral involvement. For more advanced stages, nephroureterectomy, together with the removal of a "cuff" of the bladder and ipsilateral lymphadenectomy, is indicated.