[Urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract. 10 years' material from a central hospital].

During the last ten years, 16 patients have been treated for urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract, ten carcinomas of the renal pelvis and six carcinomas of the ureter. Mean age at the time of diagnosis was 64.3 years. The most common symptoms were hematuria, flank pain and loss of weight. The diagnosis was established by intravenous pyelography and retrograde ureteropyelography. Ureteral carcinomas were operated with local resection of the ureter, while carcinomas of the renal pelvis were treated with a nephroureterectomia. Most tumours were highly malignant. Four tumours were non-invasive and, in retrospect, could have been treated with a local resection only. Only 35% of patients with urothelial carcinoma in the upper urinary tract are alive five years after diagnosis.