Primary urethral carcinoma in females: an epidemiologic study on demographical factors, histological types, tumour stage and survival

Primary urethral carcinoma in female: An extremely rare case series at a single tertiary referral hospital and literature review

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

Primary urethral carcinoma (PUC) is exceedingly uncommon and accounts for 0.02 % of all female cancers and <1 % of female genitourinary tract malignancy. PUC in female usually presents late with a higher disease stage and, hence, has higher cancer-specific mortality. Due to its rarity, the current recommendation for the management of PUC is still unclear.

CASE PRESENTATION

This study reports two rare cases of 59-year-old and 65-year-old women with PUC, presenting with chief complaint of hematuria. Urethrocystoscopy and biopsy were performed. Pathology results revealed mucinous adenocarcinoma (AC) and urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the urethra, respectively. Radiological imaging was conducted for staging. Both were diagnosed with cT4N2M0. The first patient underwent anterior pelvic exenteration with bilateral ureterocutaneoustomy (UCS), while the second patient received cisplatin-based chemotherapy before the surgery. Radiological follow-up was planned 3 months after the surgery.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

Both mucinous AC and UC are considered incredibly unusual subtypes, with no defined treatment guidelines. Anterior exenteration with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy may be opted for advanced PUC affecting the proximal urethra and adjacent organs. Following the previous studies, in this case series, both patients (locally advanced) underwent anterior exenteration. Additionally, the UC subtype received multimodal treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy which was shown to improve overall survival.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, PUC is extremely rare, and the choice of management remained various. Long-term follow-up for these patients is mandatory to improve understanding of this incredibly uncommon disease.

Urethral cancer: a comprehensive review endorsed by the Global Society of Rare Genitourinary Tumours

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effectiveness and adverse effects of urethrectomy alone or as part of multimodal therapy (MMT).

METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted across MEDLINE (OVID), EMBASE, LILACS and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases, from their inception to the present date. The study cohort comprised individuals aged 16 years and older diagnosed with urethral tumours at any stage who underwent either isolated urethrectomy or urethrectomy as an integral component of MMT.

RESULTS

Ninety-two studies comprising 25 480 patients met the inclusion criteria. Surgical outcomes for urethral cancer vary considerably, with 5-year overall survival (OS) ranging from 10% to 68% based on disease extent, approach, and gender. Radiotherapy (RT) alone provides 5-year OS of approximately 40%. Combined regimens provide better outcomes compared to single modalities, including reduced recurrence and enhanced survival. However, trimodal therapy showed survival benefits only for urothelial subtypes, indicating the need to tailor management according to cancer type. MMT with neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to surgery demonstrated the most consistent survival gains.

CONCLUSIONS

The management of urethral cancer demands a nuanced, personalised approach, accounting for factors such as tumour location, sex, and tumour stage. MMT combining surgery, chemotherapy and RT has shown the ability to enhance outcomes in advanced disease. More extensive collaborative studies through specialised centres are imperative to advance evidence-based protocols and refine treatment in order to improve survival.

Primary mucinous adenocarcinoma of the urethra: A contemporary clinicopathologic analysis of 17 patients

Mucinous adenocarcinoma of the urethra is rare. Here we performed a contemporary clinicopathologic analysis of this entity in both male and female patients. All cases with secondary tumors involving the urethra were excluded. Clinicopathologic parameters and follow up was obtained. Seventeen patients were included in the study, 9/17 (53 %) male and 8/17 (47 %) female. The mean patient age was 68 years (range: 53-88 years). The majority (11/17, 65 %) of patients were African American, with an even greater incidence (7/8, 87 %) in female patients. In male patients, prostatic urethra was the most common part of the urethra (6/9, 67 %) where the tumor arose from. Immunohistochemical stains were performed in 11/17 (65 %) tumors and were positive for CK20 (11/11, 100 %), CDX2 (11/12, 92 %), CK7 (8/9, 88 %), GATA3 (3/8, 37 %) and negative for NKX3.1, PSA, p63, PAX8, and Beta-Catenin. In resection specimens, tumors were categorized as pT2 (3/11, 27 %), pT3 (1/11, 9 %), and pT4 (7/11, 64 %). Lymph node status was categorized as pN0 (6/9, 67 %), pN1 (1/9, 11 %), and pN2 (2/9, 22 %). Available follow up data showed 7/13 (54 %) patients developed recurrence after surgical resection and chemotherapy, of which 3/7 (43 %) died of widespread metastatic disease. It is critical for pathologists and urologic oncologists to be aware of this entity in both male and female patients in view of potential diagnostic pitfalls, prognosis, and therapeutic implications.

Contemporary sex-specific analysis of the association of marital status with cancer-specific mortality in primary urethral carcinoma patients

BACKGROUND

It is unknown whether married status may be associated with lower cancer-specific mortality (CSM) rates in primary urethral carcinoma (PUC) patients. To test for differences in CSM rates, according to marital status, we relied on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database 2000-2020.

METHODS

Patient (age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status), tumor (stage, histology), and treatment (surgery, systemic therapy) characteristics of PUC patients were tabulated. Then, Kaplan-Meier plots, as well as univariable and multivariable Cox regression (MCR) models tested for differences in CSM rates according to marital status in overall cohort and then in sex-specific subgroup analyses.

RESULTS

Of all 1,571 PUC patients, 70% were male vs. 30% female. Females were statistically significantly younger (68 vs. 73 years), more frequently unmarried (54 vs. 28%), non-Caucasian (43 vs. 24%), more frequently harbored T3-4N0M0 (39 vs. 18%) and less frequently T1-2N0M0 (53 vs. 69%) or TanyN1-2M0/TanyNanyM1 (8 vs. 13%), relative to males. Moreover, we recorded differences in histotype proportions in females vs. males (urothelial 30 vs. 64%; squamous 24 vs. 22%; adenocarcinoma 36 vs. 7%; others 10 vs. 6%) and surgical treatment (none 22 vs. 17%; excisional biopsy 22 vs. 36%; partial urethrectomy 14 vs. 16%; radical urethrectomy 42 vs. 31%). In MCR models focusing on the entire cohort, married status independently predicted lower CSM (hazard ratio [HR]:0.82; P = 0.02). Similarly, in MCR models focusing on females, married status independently predicted lower CSM (HR:0.73; P = 0.03). Conversely, in MCR models focusing on males, married status failed to independently predict lower CSM (HR:0.89; P = 0.3).

CONCLUSIONS

Married status was associated with lower CSM in PUC patients. However, this benefit applies to female PUC patients, but not to their male counterparts.

CDX2- and PAX8-Expressing Subtypes in Female Urethral Adenocarcinoma: Pathogenesis Insights through Immunohistochemical and Morphological Analyses

Female urethral adenocarcinoma has attracted attention as a rare tumor type based on its differential pathogenesis from its male counterpart. However, to date, our knowledge concerning its immunohistochemical and morphological characteristics remains limited due to the small number of cases studied. In this study, nine consecutive cases of female urethral adenocarcinoma were used for immunohistochemical and morphological characterization of the tumor based on semi-comprehensive immunohistochemical analysis and detailed morphological evaluations. Our immunohistochemical assay revealed two subtypes of female urethral adenocarcinoma with distinctive staining patterns: the CDX2- and PAX8-expressing subtypes. The former stained positive for other intestinal markers (e.g., HNF4α and TFF1) as well (7 of 7 cases); the latter stained negative for these intestinal markers (0 of 2 cases) but stained positive for clear cell carcinoma markers (e.g., Napsin A and HNF1β) (2 of 2 cases). Regarding cytokeratins, the former displayed a CK7- and CK20-positive immunoprofile (7 of 7 cases); the latter exhibited a CK7-positive and CK20-negative immunoprofile (2 of 2 cases). Morphologically, CDX2- and PAX8-expressing subtypes resembled intestinal-type adenocarcinoma and clear cell carcinoma (occurring in gynecological organs), respectively. The semi-comprehensive immunoprofiling data presented in this study can potentially contribute to the correct diagnosis of this rare tumor type. Finally, our study represents an important basis for future investigations aiming to further elucidate the details and origin of female urethral adenocarcinoma, and it can potentially contribute to developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for treating this malignancy.

Reprint of: Female Urethral Carcinoma: A contemporary review of the clinicopathologic features, with emphasis on the histo-anatomic landmarks and potential staging issues

Primary female urethral carcinoma (PUC-F) accounts for less than 1% of all genitourinary malignancies and comprises a histologically diverse group of tumors that are usually associated with poor prognosis. The carcinomas documented at this site include adenocarcinoma (clear cell adenocarcinoma, columnar cell carcinoma, and Skene gland adenocarcinoma), urothelial carcinoma (UCa), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Recent studies have shown adenocarcinomas to be the most common type of primary urethral carcinoma in females. As most of the urethral carcinomas morphologically resemble carcinomas arising from surrounding pelvic organs or metastases, these should be ruled out before making the diagnosis of PUC-F. These tumors are currently staged according to the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system. However, the AJCC system has limitations, including the staging of tumors involving the anterior wall of the urethra. Staging systems like the recently proposed histology-based female urethral carcinoma staging system (UCS) takes into account the unique histological landmarks of the female urethra to better stratify pT2 and pT3 tumors into prognostic groups, that correlate with clinical outcomes including recurrence rates, disease-specific survival and overall survival. Further larger multi-institutional cohorts are however required to validate the results of this staging system. There is very limited information regarding the molecular profiling of PUC-F. Thirty-one percent of clear cell adenocarcinomas have been reported to show PIK3CA alterations, whereas 15% of adenocarcinomas show PTEN mutations. Higher tumor mutational burden and PD-L1 staining have been reported in UCa and SCC. Although multimodality treatment is usually recommended in locally advanced and metastatic disease, the role of immunotherapy and targeted therapy is promising in select PUC-F cases.

Epidemiology of Unconventional Histological Subtypes of Urethral Cancer

INTRODUCTION

The aim of the study was to examine cancer-specific mortality (CSM) of unconventional urethral cancers.

METHODS

Within the SEER (2004-2016) database, we analyzed CSM of 165 patients with unconventional urethral-cancer histology. Kaplan-Meier plots were used to test the effect of unconventional histologies in urethral cancer on CSM.

RESULTS

Of 165 eligible patients, the Mullerian type accounted for 55 (33.3%) versus melanocytic (26.7%) versus neuroendocrine 25 (15.2%) versus lymphoma 22 (13.3%) versus mesenchymal/sarcoma 15 (9.1%) versus spindle cell 4 (2.1%) patients. Median age at diagnosis was 81 years in spindle cell, 75 in melanocytic, 74 in neuroendocrine and mesenchymal/sarcoma, 67 in lymphoma, and 62 years Mullerian type (p < 0.001). Of all, 116 (70.3%) were female. The Mullerian type exhibited the highest female ratio (96.4%) versus the lowest female ratio in neuroendocrine (24.0%). The Mullerian type was most frequent in African-American females. In Caucasian females, the melanocytic type was most frequent (49.1%). In African-American (38.9%) and Caucasian males (33.3%), neuroendocrine histology was most frequent. Three-year CSM was, respectively, 27.5%, 23.1% 22.3%, 20.5%, and 16.1% for melanocytic, mesenchymal/sarcoma, Mullerian type, neuroendocrine, and lymphoma histology. Median cancer-specific survival was 106 versus 10 months for combined nonmetastatic versus metastatic nonconventional histologies.

CONCLUSION

Important age, sex, racial/ethnic group distribution, and survival differences exist between each unconventional urethral-cancer histological subtypes.

Progress in the treatment of urethral adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Urothelial adenocarcinoma (UA) is a rare subtype of primary urothelial carcinoma, which is more common in women and has a poor prognosis. Because of their low incidence, most of the existing literature is based on case reports and there is a lack of comprehensive literature on this type of tumor.

PURPOSE

This article provides a comprehensive and systematic review of the epidemiology, pathological types, treatment, and prognosis of UA. Especially in the treatment section, we reviewed the various treatment methods including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and molecular targeted therapy. This review aims to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical diagnosis and management of UA.

METHODS

We reviewed the relevant literature of UA from Pubmed.

CONCLUSION

There is no standard treatment for UA. Multidisciplinary therapy, including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, is the current trend. Immunotherapy and molecular targeted therapy will also become viable options for the treatment of UA in future.

Female urethral carcinoma: a contemporary review of the clinicopathologic features, with emphasis on the histoanatomic landmarks and potential staging issues

Primary female urethral carcinoma (PUC-F) accounts for less than 1% of all genitourinary malignancies and comprises a histologically diverse group of tumors that are usually associated with poor prognosis. The carcinomas documented at this site include adenocarcinoma (clear cell adenocarcinoma, columnar cell carcinoma, and Skene gland adenocarcinoma), urothelial carcinoma (UCa), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Recent studies have shown adenocarcinomas to be the most common type of primary urethral carcinoma in females. As most of the urethral carcinomas morphologically resemble carcinomas arising from surrounding pelvic organs or metastases, these should be ruled out before making the diagnosis of PUC-F. These tumors are currently staged according to the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system. However, the AJCC system has limitations, including the staging of tumors involving the anterior wall of the urethra. Staging systems like the recently proposed histology-based female urethral carcinoma staging system (UCS) takes into account the unique histological landmarks of the female urethra to better stratify pT2 and pT3 tumors into prognostic groups, that correlate with clinical outcomes including recurrence rates, disease-specific and overall survival. Further larger multi-institutional cohorts are however required to validate the results of this staging system. There is very limited information regarding the molecular profiling of PUC-F. Thirty-one percent of clear cell adenocarcinomas have been reported to show PIK3CA alterations, whereas 15% of adenocarcinomas show PTEN mutations. Higher tumor mutational burden and PD-L1 staining have been reported in UCa and SCC. Although multimodality treatment is usually recommended in locally advanced and metastatic disease, the role of immunotherapy and targeted therapy is promising in select PUC-F cases.

Chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy in primary female urethral squamous cell carcinoma: a case report

Primary female urethral carcinomas are uncommon and have a low morbidity rate. Most of these patients have advanced illness with high invasion and a poor prognosis. There is no standard treatment, and multimodal therapy is recommended. The use of radiotherapy and chemotherapy were mostly reported in previous studies on advanced female urethral squamous cell carcinoma. We report that chemotherapy combined with a programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor was effective in treating metastatic female urethral squamous cell carcinoma. During four cycles, we used systemic chemotherapy of albumin-paclitaxel + carboplatin in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor (toripalimab 240 mg) every 3 weeks, and a complete response was achieved. We performed a genetic test on the patient who had a tumor mutation burden of 5.7 mutations/Mb, tumor proportion score of 20%, and combined positive score of 20% (22C3). No recurrence or distant metastasis was found after 20 months of follow-up. In conclusion, in patients with positive PD-1 ligand 1 expression in primary female urethral squamous cell carcinoma, chemotherapy combined with PD-1 inhibitors may be effective. Larger sample studies are required to determine PD-1 ligand 1 expression and the curative effect of PD-1 inhibitors, as well as their effect on survival.

Primary mucinous cell adenocarcinoma of female urethra

Primary adenocarcinoma of the female urethra is a rare entity. Its incidence increases with age with the highest rate in women aged more than 65 years. Adenocarcinoma of the urethra is more common among women than men and is associated with a relatively poor prognosis. We report a case of primary adenocarcinoma of the urethra and review the literature with emphasis on the diagnosis, management and outcome of this rare tumour.

Primary Malignant Melanoma of the Genitourinary System: A Systemic Review and Report of Eight Cases

Malignant melanoma (MM) of mucosal membranes (excluding anus and head-neck) is a rare but aggressive disease with poor outcomes. The knowledge of this tumor's development, etiology, and management is scarce, mainly due to the low case numbers. We presented eight cases and performed a comprehensive literature review on mucosal MM (between 1970 and 2020). We identified 47 manuscripts on 55 patients with primary mucosal MM (limited to urothelium and vagina) and reviewed demographics, tumor specifications (morphology, stage, etc.), management, and survival. We identified 10 manuscripts discussing treatment in 1595 mucosal and non-mucosal MM and extracted the data regarding the non-surgical treatment modalities of mucosal MM patients. In 63 cases, 48 tumors primarily occurred in the urothelium (urethra: 47, bladder: 1) and 15 in the vagina. Molecular studies in a subset of cases revealed alterations in c-KIT, NRAS, BRAF (non-V600E and V600E), TP53, and NF1. Fifty-three patients underwent surgery (with additional chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy in 19, eight, and eight patients, respectively). The outcome was available in 52 cases, showing 21 deaths, 10 without recurrence, two alive with disease, and five lost to follow-up. Shared genetic signatures in mucosal and skin MM suggest a similar development mechanism; however, unlike skin MM, there are less BRAF mutations and more PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway alterations in mucosal MM. Prolonged chemotherapy (i.e., methotrexate) and immune-modulating agents (i.e., natalizumab) may be risk factors. The stage at diagnosis and proper surgical extirpation are keys to the prognosis and survival of patients.

A brief review on the diagnostic and therapeutic principles of primary urethral cancer

Objective

Primary urethral carcinoma (PUC) is a rare malignant carcinoma but with limited therapeutic options. This review aims to provide an overview of the current strategies on this patient settings.

Methods

Recent literature ranging from January 1987 and December 2021 was assessed through PubMed search to assess the diagnostic and therapeutic principles of PUC.

Results

A complete of examination including cystoscopy, imaging, and biopsy should be conducted for these patients. Once diagnosed, the clinical decision of PUC should be made according to the tumor location, pathological pattern, and extent of the tumor. For patients with superficial and distal urethral lesions, organ sparing approaches or radical reconstructive procedures can be utilized. While for more advanced disease or nodal involvement, an optimal multimodal treatment strategy consisted of surgery and radiochemotherapy should be adopted. For patients with urothelial carcinoma of the prostate, the management including transurethral resection of the prostate followed by bacille Calmette-Guerin or radical cystoprostatectomy should depend on the infiltration depth of PUC.

Conclusion

A complete of examination is important for the diagnosis of PUC. The management of PUC should be determined by the location, pathological pattern, and extent of the tumor. More multi-institutional collaborations should be held to investigate better treatment modalities for PUC.

The ultrasonographic characteristics of female periurethral solid masses

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Studies on the imaging of female periurethral masses are sparse, and most are focused on cystic lesions. In this article, we studied female periurethral solid masses and reported their ultrasonographic features.

METHODS

Fifteen women with periurethral solid masses pathologically diagnosed between January 2008 and April 2021 were assessed.

RESULTS

Each patient had only one mass. The pathological types included urethral caruncle (5 patients), urethral leiomyoma (3 patients), urethral malignant tumor (MT) (3 patients), periurethral spindle tumor (3 patients) and cartilage necrosis of pubic symphysis (PS) (1 patient). On ultrasound, all urethral caruncles were located at the urethral meatus. They were hypoechoic/isoechoic and rich in blood flow signal. Each leiomyoma presented as a well-defined hypoechoic mass with an oval shape. The urethral MT had inhomogeneous/isoechoic echoes, with medium to abundant blood flow signal. The spindle cell tumors had regular/irregular shapes, moderate/high density echogenicity and little/rich blood flow signals. The articular cartilage necrosis of PS was regular in shape, with mixed echogenicity and no blood flow.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasound imaging is a convenient and useful method to evaluate the morphological characteristics of female periurethral solid masses.

Urethral Masses

Urethral and periurethral masses in women include both benign and malignant entities that can be difficult to clinically differentiate. Primary urethral carcinoma is rare and the optimal treatment modality may vary depending on the stage at presentation. Because cancer-free survival is poor, clinicians shouldhave a high index of suspicion when evaluating a urethral mass. Some benign-appearing urethral masses may be safely observed. Surgical resection is an effective option that should be used based on patient preference and symptoms, and for suspicious lesions.

Primary tumor surgery improves survival in non-metastatic primary urethral carcinoma patients: a large population-based investigation

Background

Primary urethral carcinoma (PUC) is a rare genitourinary malignancy with a relatively poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of surgery on survival of patients diagnosed with PUC.

Methods

A total of 1544 PUC patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2016 were identified based on the SEER database. The Kaplan-Meier estimate and the Fine and Gray competing risks analysis were performed to assess overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific mortality (CSM). The multivariate Cox regression model and competing risks regression model were used to identify independent risk factors of OS and cancer-specific survival (CSS).

Results

The 5-yr OS was significantly better in patients who received either local therapy (39.8%) or radical surgery (44.7%) compared to patients receiving no surgery of the primary site (21.5%) (p < 0.001). Both local therapy and radical surgery were each independently associated with decreased CSM, with predicted 5-yr cumulative incidence of 45.4 and 43.3%, respectively, compared to 64.7% for patients receiving no surgery of the primary site (p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that primary site surgery was independently associated with better OS (local therapy, p = 0.037; radical surgery, p < 0.001) and decreased CSM (p = 0.003). Similar results were noted regardless of age, sex, T stage, N stage, and AJCC prognostic groups based on subgroup analysis. However, patients with M1 disease who underwent primary site surgery did not exhibit any survival benefit.

Conclusion

Surgery for the primary tumor conferred a survival advantage in non-metastatic PUC patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08603-z.

Current Perspectives on the Diagnosis and Management of Primary Urethral Cancer: A Systematic Review

Primary urethral cancer (PUC) is a rare but highly aggressive malignancy that causes malignant urethral obstruction. We conducted a literature review using PubMed to identify original research studies that assessed the diagnosis and management of primary urethral cancer. PUC affects men more than women, is more common in African Americans than Caucasians, and is associated with history of chronic inflammation and irritation of the urinary tract. Patients suspected of PUC should undergo a complete work-up including cystoscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, and biopsy. In men and women, surgical monotherapy ranging from organ-sparing to more radical reconstructive procedures has adequate survival rates for early stage PUC and has been shown to be similarly as effective as radiation monotherapy, while multimodal therapy has become the standard of treatment for advanced stage PUC. Salvage surgery or radiation therapy has been linked with increased survival rates. Nodal involvement at the time of diagnosis is a negative prognosticator and should be treated with multimodal therapy. Further prospective studies with greater sample sizes and standardized clinical trials would allow for greater consistency in evaluating the different treatment modalities for PUC.

Sarcomatoid urothelial carcinoma arising in the female urethral diverticulum

A sarcomatoid variant of urothelial carcinoma in the female urethral diverticulum has not been reported previously. A 66-year-old woman suffering from dysuria presented with a huge urethral mass invading the urinary bladder and vagina. Histopathological examination of the resected specimen revealed predominantly undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma with sclerosis. Only a small portion of conventional urothelial carcinoma was identified around the urethral diverticulum, which contained glandular epithelium and villous adenoma. The patient showed rapid systemic recurrence and resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy despite high expression of programmed cell death ligand-1. We report the first case of urethral diverticular carcinoma with sarcomatoid features.

Incidence rates and contemporary trends in primary urethral cancer

PURPOSE

We assessed contemporary incidence rates and trends of primary urethral cancer.

METHODS

We identified urethral cancer patients within Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry (SEER, 2004-2016). Age-standardized incidence rates per 1,000,000 (ASR) were calculated. Log linear regression analyses were used to compute average annual percent change (AAPC).

RESULTS

From 2004 to 2016, 1907 patients with urethral cancer were diagnosed (ASR 1.69; AAPC: -0.98%, p = 0.3). ASR rates were higher in males than in females (2.70 vs. 0.55), respectively and did not change over the time (both p = 0.3). Highest incidence rates were recorded in respectively ≥75 (0.77), 55-74 (0.71) and ≤54 (0.19) years of age categories, in that order. African Americans exhibited highest incidence rate (3.33) followed by Caucasians (1.72), other race groups (1.57) and Hispanics (1.57), in that order. A significant decrease occurred over time in Hispanics, but not in other race groups. In African Americans, male and female sex-stratified incidence rates were higher than in any other race group. Urothelial histological subtype exhibited highest incidence rate (0.92), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (0.41), adenocarcinoma (0.29) and other histologies (0.20). In stage stratified analyses, T₁N₀M₀ stage exhibited highest incidence rate. However, it decreased over time (-3.00%, p = 0.02) in favor of T_1-4N_1-2M₀ stage (+ 2.11%, p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

Urethral cancer is rare. Its incidence rates are highest in males, elderly patients, African Americans and in urothelial histological subtype. Most urethral cancer cases are T₁N₀M₀, but over time, the incidence of T₁N₀M₀ decreased in favor of T_1-4N_1-2M₀.

Comparison Between Urothelial and Non-Urothelial Urethral Cancer

Background

To test the effect of variant histology relative to urothelial histology on stage at presentation, cancer specific mortality (CSM), and overall mortality (OM) after chemotherapy use, in urethral cancer.

Materials and Methods

Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (2004-2016) database, we identified 1,907 primary variant histology urethral cancer patients. Kaplan-Meier plots, Cox regression analyses, cumulative incidence-plots, multivariable competing-risks regression models and propensity score matching for patient and tumor characteristics were used.

Results

Of 1,907 eligible urethral cancer patients, urothelial histology affected 1,009 (52.9%) vs. squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) 455 (23.6%) vs. adenocarcinoma 278 (14.6%) vs. other histology 165 (8.7%) patients. Urothelial histological patients exhibited lower stages at presentation than SCC, adenocarcinoma or other histology patients. In urothelial histology patients, five-year CSM was 23.5% vs. 34.4% in SCC [Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.57] vs. 40.7% in adenocarcinoma (HR 1.69) vs. 43.4% in other histology (HR 1.99, p < 0.001). After matching in multivariate competing-risks regression models, variant histology exhibited 1.35-fold higher CSM than urothelial. Finally, in metastatic urethral cancer, lower OM was recorded after chemotherapy in general, including metastatic adenocarcinoma and other variant histology subtypes, except metastatic SCC.

Conclusion

Adenocarcinoma, SCC and other histology subtypes affect fewer patients than urothelial histology. Presence of variant histology results in higher CSM. Finally, chemotherapy for metastatic urethral cancer improves survival in adenocarcinoma and other variant histology subtypes, but not in SCC.

Primary Female Urethral Carcinoma: Proposed Staging Modifications Based on Assessment of Female Urethral Histology and Analysis of a Large Series of Female Urethral Carcinomas

Primary female urethral carcinoma is rare. Limited clinicopathologic information has hindered development of staging criteria in this disease. We analyzed 29 primary female urethral carcinoma resections from 3 academic medical centers to characterize histopathologic features, clinical outcomes, and applicability of current and a novel modified staging criteria. We complemented this analysis with review of fully embedded female autopsy urethras to detail anterior and posterior urethral wall histology. Primary female urethral carcinoma subtypes included urothelial carcinoma in situ (3/29, 10%), adenocarcinoma in situ (1/29; 3%), invasive urothelial carcinoma (13/29, 45%), clear cell carcinoma (5/29, 17%), adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified (4/29, 14%) and squamous cell carcinoma (3/29, 10%). Only 6/29 cases (21%) were originally assigned a stage at diagnosis. Using histologic landmarks specific to the female urethra, we modified existing eighth edition American Joint Committee on Cancer urethral staging to a histology-based female urethral carcinoma staging (UCS) system. UCS stages were defined as pTa/pTisUCS (noninvasive carcinoma), pT1UCS (subepithelial tissue invasion), pT2UCS (periurethral muscle invasion), pT3UCS (vaginal adventitia or surrounding fibrovascular tissue), and pT4UCS (anterior wall fibroadipose tissue or posterior vaginal wall). UCS staging was applicable to all cases and showed stepwise changes in disease recurrence with increasing stage and was statistically significant for disease-specific and overall survival in contrast to the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system. This study of one of the largest cohort of primary female urethral carcinomas provides a modified histology-based staging system specific to female urethral anatomy that provides outcomes-related information, which may be further validated by larger multi-institutional studies.

Ultrasonographic Imaging Features of Female Urethral and Peri-urethral Masses: A Retrospective Study of 95 Patients

The aim of this study was to assess the imaging features of urethral and peri-urethral masses on transvaginal or transperineal ultrasound (US) in a cohort of 95 women. In this retrospective study, medical records of 95 female patients with 98 asymptomatic or symptomatic urethral and peri-urethral masses were retrospectively reviewed. Data regarding patient demographic characteristics, symptoms, signs, imaging features on 2-D and 3-D transvaginal or transperineal US, diagnostic tests and physical and intra-operative findings were extracted. The US imaging features and clinicopathologic characteristics of each urethral or peri-urethral mass were compared. On ultrasound, 39 masses (in 39 patients) were diagnosed as urethral diverticula, which manifested mostly as complex cystic masses (24/39, 61.5%); 35 masses (in 33 patients) were diagnosed as para-urethral cysts, which manifested mostly as simple cystic masses (19/35, 54.3%); 13 hypo-echoic solid masses (in 12 patients) exhibiting blood flow signals on color Doppler imaging were diagnosed as urethral leiomyomas; hypo-echoic or heterogeneous solid masses (in 8 patients) exhibiting blood flow signals on color Doppler imaging were diagnosed as urethral caruncles, including one complicated by malignant transformation; solid masses with mixed echogenicity (in 2 patients) exhibiting blood flow signals on color Doppler imaging were diagnosed as urethral squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma, and a hypoechoic solid mass (in one patient) with blood-flow signals on color Doppler imaging was diagnosed as urethral condyloma associated with human papillomavirus infection. This study confirmed transvaginal or transperineal 2-D and 3-D ultrasonography to be a valid, non-invasive, cost-effective diagnostic modality for the differential diagnosis of urethral and periurethral masses.

European Association of Urology Guidelines on Primary Urethral Carcinoma-2020 Update

CONTEXT

Primary urethral carcinoma (PUC) is a rare cancer accounting for <1% of all genitourinary malignancies.

OBJECTIVE

To provide updated practical recommendations for the diagnosis and management of PUC.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

A systematic search interrogating Ovid (Medline), EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was performed.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

Urothelial carcinoma of the urethra is the predominant histological type of PUC (54-65%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (16-22%) and adenocarcinoma (10-16%). Diagnosis of PUC depends on urethrocystoscopy with biopsy and urinary cytology. Pathological staging and grading are based on the tumour, node, metastasis (TNM) classification and the 2016 World Health Organization grading systems. Local tumour extent and regional lymph nodes are assessed by magnetic resonance imaging, and the presence of distant metastases is assessed by computed tomography of the thorax/abdomen and pelvis. For all patients with localised distal tumours (≤T2N0M0), partial urethrectomy or urethra-sparing surgery is a valid treatment option, provided that negative intraoperative surgical margins can be achieved. Prostatic Ta-Tis-T1 PUC can be treated with repeat transurethral resection of the prostate and bacillus Calmette-Guérin. In prostatic or proximal ≥ T2N0 disease, neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy should be considered prior to radical surgery. All patients with locally advanced disease (≥T3N0-2M0) should be discussed within a multidisciplinary team. In men with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma, curative radiotherapy combined with radiosensitising chemotherapy can be offered for definitive treatment and genital preservation. In patients with local urethral recurrence, salvage surgery or radiotherapy can be offered. For patients with distant metastatic disease, systemic therapy based on tumour characteristics can be evaluated.

CONCLUSIONS

These updated European Association of Urology guidelines provide up-to-date guidance for the contemporary diagnosis and management of patients with suspected PUC.

PATIENT SUMMARY

Primary urethral carcinoma (PUC) is a very rare, but aggressive disease. These updated European Association of Urology guidelines provide evidence-based guidance for clinicians treating patients with PUC.

Skene's Gland Adenocarcinoma: Borrowing From Prostate Cancer Experience for the Evaluation and Management of a Rare Malignancy

OBJECTIVE

To determine if adenocarcinoma of the Skene's glands in women, which has a histological and immunohistochemical appearance similar to prostate cancer, can be evaluated and managed with the same tools we use for prostate cancer.

METHODS

Serum prostate-specific antigen kinetics, 3D multiparametric (MP) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fluciclovine F-18 positron emission tomography (PET), and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) were employed in a case of Skene's gland adenocarcinoma.

RESULTS

The 3D MP MRI clarified the anatomy of the primary lesion and fluciclovine F-18 PET significantly improved our ability to stage the tumor prompting pelvic lymph node dissection that may have otherwise not been performed. ADT resulted in a significant impact on prostate-specific antigen kinetics despite the patient having a testosterone level in the normal range for a postmenopausal woman.

CONCLUSION

Despite the rarity of Skene's gland adenocarcinoma, we can employ many of the tools at our disposal for the evaluation and management of prostate cancer to benefit the women found to have this malignancy.

Three female patients with a periurethral mass: from various complaints to rare pathology

In this case report, we will discuss three cases of women diagnosed with a periurethral mass. The specific diagnosis of a periurethral mass can vary and includes rare diseases. Therefore, they provide a challenge to medical professionals. All patients underwent diagnostic evaluation with cystoscopy and pelvic MRI followed by surgical removal. Based on the MRI and pathology report, different diagnoses were made for each patient. The three diagnoses will be discussed: subpubic cartilaginous cyst, leiomyoma and clear cell adenocarcinoma of the urethra. Our case report is useful for other medical professionals, and they can evaluate how to optimal approach a periurethral mass.

Advanced primary urethral cancer: a case report

Background

Primary urethral cancer is exceedingly rare, resulting in a limitation in clinicians’ experience, and an accurate diagnosis is often delayed due to the non-specific clinical presentation. Here, we present this case report to show the treatment of a patient with primary urethral cancer. Our patient was diagnosed as having primary urethral cancer in the First Clinical Hospital of Yichang by cystoscopy and biopsy. Due to her age, poor physical tolerance, and economic condition, she refused radical operation. Since there is no definite guideline for the treatment process of primary urethral cancer in clinics, operation methods and postoperative adjuvant treatments vary in different hospitals, leading to diverse prognostic effects.

Case presentation

An 88-year-old Asian woman had difficulty in urinating for more than 6 months and the syndrome was aggravated for 1 month. She chose a relatively conservative treatment plan: primary tumor resection combined with bladder perfusion chemotherapy. Postoperative pathology revealed “urethra” high-grade urothelial carcinoma (sarcoma-like variants) with extensive necrosis. After treatment with intravesical chemotherapeutic drug (hydroxycamptothecin 40 mg), she was eventually released from our hospital in a stable condition. Postoperation follow-up was performed to observe to what extent this conservative treatment plan improved the quality of life and overall survival time of our patient.

Conclusions

She needed radical resection according to the actual situation. However, her age restricted her tolerance to general anesthesia; relatively conservative treatment options are available to ensure a high quality of life. The treatment of primary tumor resection combined with bladder perfusion chemotherapy is feasible. This case highlights the importance of the dissemination of new cases and optimizing primary urethral cancer diagnosis to obtain an effective treatment.

Nomograms for predicting long-term overall survival and cancer-specific survival in patients with primary urethral carcinoma: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

Our aim was to identify the independent prognostic factors in patients with primary urethral carcinoma (PUC) and to predict their overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) at 3, 5, and 8 years.

METHODS

Patients with PUC identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were divided into training and validation cohorts. Nomograms were constructed based on the results of Cox regression analysis. The predictive performance of each nomogram was evaluated using the consistency index (C-index), the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC), and calibration plots. Decision-curve analysis (DCA) was used to test the clinical value of the predictive models.

RESULTS

Our study screened 822 patients with PUC. Multivariate analysis showed that the age at diagnosis, race, histology, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, and surgery status were independent prognostic factors for CSS and age at diagnosis, race, histology, AJCC stage, surgery status, and chemotherapy for OS (all P < 0.05). We used these prognostic factors to construct nomograms. The C-indexes for OS and CSS were 0.713 and 0.741 in training cohorts and 0.714 and 0.738 in validation cohorts, respectively. The AUC and calibration plots demonstrated the good performance of both nomograms. The DCA indicated the presence of clinical net benefits in both the training and validation cohorts.

CONCLUSION

We developed and validated nomograms for predicting OS and CSS in patients with PUC, which can help clinicians make treatment decisions.

Primary Urethral Melanoma: A Case Report and Literature Review

Patients with localized urethral melanoma have a high risk of recurrence and poor disease-specific survival. Multi-disciplinary approach including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy/immunotherapy is needed to maximize survival. Current research efforts include investigation of novel tyrosine kinases as well as the combination of targeted therapies with immunotherapies in this population. Combinations may provide a synergistic effect to overcome various obstacles to disease response.

Nonspecific Symptoms in a Rare Case of Urethral Adenocarcinoma in a 58-Year-Old Female

Cancer of the urethra is very rare with an age-adjusted incidence of only 0.6 per million women in Europe. The etiology is multifactorial and the incidence increases with age, with the highest rates in patients 75 years or older. We herein describe a 58-year-old woman referred to our unit due to pollakisuria and repeated lower urinary tract infections. The gynecological examination revealed a suspect area in the anterior wall of vagina. Subsequently, ultrasound examination, MRI, and PET-CT scan followed by vaginal biopsies revealed a urethral adenocarcinoma.

Skene duct adenocarcinoma in a patient with an elevated serum prostate-specific antigen level: a case report

Background

Female urethral carcinoma is a very rare disease that accounts for 0.02% of malignant diseases in female patients.

Case presentation

A 70-year-old Asian Japanese woman with a urethral tumor was referred to our hospital to undergo further examination. Biopsy specimens showed urethral adenocarcinoma that was positive for prostate-specific antigen. Her serum prostate-specific antigen level before surgery was 34.4 ng/ml. Urethral tumor resection with pelvic lymph node resection was performed. Her serum prostate-specific antigen level decreased to < 0.01 ng/ml after surgery.

Conclusions

We report a very rare case of Skene duct adenocarcinoma in a female patient with serum prostate-specific antigen elevation.

The prognostic effect of salvage surgery and radiotherapy in patients with recurrent primary urethral carcinoma

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the impact of salvage therapy (ST) on overall survival (OS) in recurrent primary urethral cancer (PUC).

PATIENTS

A series of 139 patients (96 men, 43 women; median age = 66, interquartile range: 57-77) were diagnosed with PUC at 10 referral centers between 1993 and 2012. The modality of ST of recurrence (salvage surgery vs. radiotherapy) was recorded. Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank was used to estimate the impact of ST on OS (median follow-up = 21, interquartile range: 5-48).

RESULTS

The 3-year OS for patients free of any recurrence (I), with solitary or concomitant urethral recurrence (II), and nonurethral recurrence (III) was 86.5%, 74.5%, and 48.2%, respectively (P = 0.002 for I vs. III and II vs. III; P = 0.55 for I vs. II). In the 80 patients with recurrences, the modality of primary treatment of recurrence was salvage surgery in 30 (37.5%), salvage radiotherapy (RT) in 8 (10.0%), and salvage surgery plus RT in 5 (6.3%) whereas 37 patients did not receive ST for recurrence (46.3%). In patients with recurrences, those who underwent salvage surgery or RT-based ST had similar 3-year OS (84.9%, 71.6%) compared to patients without recurrence (86.7%, P = 0.65), and exhibited superior 3-year OS compared to patients who did not undergo ST (38.0%, P<0.001 compared to surgery, P = 0.045 to RT-based ST, P = 0.29 for surgery vs. RT-based ST).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, patients who underwent ST for recurrent PUC demonstrated improved OS compared to those who did not receive ST and exhibited similar survival to those who never developed recurrence after primary treatment.

Lower tract neoplasm: Update of imaging evaluation

Cancers of the lower urinary tract can arise from the bladder, urachus or urethra. Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) is the most common of these. The presentation of bladder, urachal and urethral cancers can differ but many result in hematuria as an initial indication. The diagnosis and staging of these cancers often necessitate radiologic imaging often in the form of cross-section CT urography or MR urography. The following article reviews the specific nature of lower tract cancers and their imaging.

Sex-related differences in clinicopathological features and survival of patients with primary urethral carcinoma: a population-based study

Purpose

To analyze the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to determine the effects of sex and prognostic factors on the survival of patients with primary urethral carcinoma (PUC).

Materials and methods

We selected 453 patients diagnosed with PUC from 2004 to 2013 from the SEER database. Statistical analysis was used to identify sex-specific differences associated with tumor characteristics and cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

Compared with men, there was a higher proportion of black women, more negative lymph-node status, higher American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, more advanced T3 stage, more with adenocarcinoma (Ac), and fewer with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). Among women, black race and M1 stage were associated with shorter CSS and OS, respectively. In addition, surgery was associated with longer OS in women. Among men, AJCC III and IV and M1 stages were associated with shorter CSS and OS. In addition, age >75 years associated with shorter OS in men.

Conclusion

Black race was associated with shorter OS and CSS of women, and surgery was associated with longer OS of women. Among men, AJCC stage III and IV were associated with shorter OS and CSS. Age >75 years was associated with shorter OS in men only. Women with Ac experienced poor CSS compared with men. Men with TCC experienced worse CSS compared with those with Ac or SCC.

Treatment and Outcomes of Primary Urethra Cancer

BACKGROUND

Urethral cancer is a rare malignancy, representing <1% of all malignancies. Optimal management, due to its rarity, presents as a treatment dilemma for physicians. There is a lack of consensus regarding treatment as large randomized trials cannot be performed; thus, optimal management decisions rely on study of retrospective cases. This is a review of our institutional experience with urethral cancer treated with various treatment modalities.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review was performed on 31 patients treated for primary cancer of the urethra from 1958 to 2008. The patients were stratified by sex, histologic type, stage, date of diagnosis, type of treatment, and last follow-up. Early stage cases were designated as Tis-T2N0M0 and advanced cases were designated as T3-4, N+ or M+. Analysis was performed based on clinical stage, treatment modalities and outcomes.

RESULTS

Fourteen early stage cases and 17 advanced stage cases of urethral cancer were analyzed. The majority of early stage cases occurred in men (M:F=8:6) and the majority of advanced stage cases occurred in women (M:F=5:12). The most common histology was squamous cell carcinoma for both early and advanced stage cases. Surgery was the preferred modality of treatment for early stage cases (surgery used in 13 cases vs. chemo/radiotherapy used in 1 case) while for advanced cases, radiation ±chemotherapy was commonly used. Overall survival for this series was 45% at mean follow-up of 7 years. Eight of the 14 cases of early stage cancer remained disease free at last follow-up. Comparatively, only 5 of 17 with advanced cancers had no apparent disease at last follow-up. All but one of those patients were treated with combined modality therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with early stage urethral cancers do well with single modality therapy, whereas patients who present with advanced cancers may benefit from combined modality therapy. More extensive study is required to recommend a particular treatment protocol. However, in this rare malignancy, institutional experiences provide the best evidence currently due to the lack of multi-institutional trials.

Clear Cell Adenocarcinoma of the Urethra in Women: Distinctive MRI Findings for Differentiation From Nonadenocarcinoma and Non-Clear Cell Adenocarcinoma of the Urethra

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the MRI findings differentiating clear cell adenocarcinoma of the urethra (CCAU) from nonadenocarcinoma of the urethra (NACU) and non-clear cell adenocarcinoma of the urethra (NCCAU) in women.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Six women with pathologically proven CCAU, six women with pathologically confirmed NACU (two squamous cell carcinomas and four transitional cell carcinomas), and nine women with NCCAU underwent preoperative MRI. The MRI findings for CCAU, NACU, and NCCAU were reviewed by a radiologist who was blinded to the histopathologic findings and were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test and the Fisher exact test.

RESULTS

CCAU was shorter in height than NACU (3.4 cm vs 5.5 cm; p = 0.020) and also had a smaller height-to-width ratio than NACU (0.85 vs 1.51; p < 0.001) and NCCAU (0.85 vs 1.48; p = 0.002). The proportion of preserved urethra in CCAU (67%) was larger than that in either NACU (9%; p < 0.001) or NCCAU (22%; p < 0.001). All cases of CCAU originated within a diverticulum, whereas none of the cases of NACU and only one NCCAU originated in a diverticulum. Intratumoral septation was more frequently observed in CCAU (100%) than in NACU (16.6%; p = 0.015) or NCCAU (11.1%; p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

MRI findings for CCAU were significantly distinctive, compared with findings for NACU and NCCAU. All cases of CCAU were associated with a urethral diverticulum, and CCAU had a lower height-to-width ratio, more frequent intratumoral septation, and greater preservation of normal urethra than did NACU and NCCAU.

Outcomes and Prognostic Factors of Primary Urethral Cancer

OBJECTIVE

To identify prognostic and treatment factors for primary urethral cancer using a nationwide database.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The National Cancer Database was queried for all cases of primary urethral cancer from 2004 to 2013. Patients with other cancer diagnoses, metastasis, or diagnosis on autopsy were excluded. Proportional hazards regression was used to identify independent predictors of overall survival in patients with primary urethral cancer. Because we hypothesized that predictors may covary by sex, we also performed regression analysis stratified by sex.

RESULTS

We identified 1268 men and 869 women with primary urethral cancer. Women tended to have more advanced tumors and adenocarcinoma histology. Median survival for the entire cohort was 49 months (43-55), with 5- and 10-year survival rates of 46% and 31%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, age, race, stage, grade, and Charlson comorbidity index were independent predictors of overall survival. Histology was not a predictor of overall survival in the combined model; however, adenocarcinoma in women increased hazards of death, whereas it decreased hazards of death in men when compared with squamous cell carcinoma.

CONCLUSION

Men and women with primary urethral cancer had significant differences in histology, grade, and nodal status. In addition to several expected disease-related factors, black race was associated with increased mortality for patients with primary urethral cancer.

Oncological Outcomes of Patients with Concomitant Bladder and Urethral Carcinoma

INTRODUCTION

The study aimed to investigate oncological outcomes of patients with concomitant bladder cancer (BC) and urethral carcinoma.

METHODS

This is a multicenter series of 110 patients (74 men, 36 women) diagnosed with urethral carcinoma at 10 referral centers between 1993 and 2012. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to investigate the impact of BC on survival, and Cox regression multivariable analysis was performed to identify predictors of recurrence.

RESULTS

Synchronous BC was diagnosed in 13 (12%) patients, and the median follow-up was 21 months (interquartile range 4-48). Urethral cancers were of higher grade in patients with synchronous BC compared to patients with non-synchronous BC (p = 0.020). Patients with synchronous BC exhibited significantly inferior 3-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) compared to patients with non-synchronous BC (63.2 vs. 34.4%; p = 0.026). In multivariable analysis, inferior RFS was associated with clinically advanced nodal stage (p < 0.001), proximal tumor location (p < 0.001) and synchronous BC (p = 0.020).

CONCLUSION

The synchronous presence of BC in patients diagnosed with urethral carcinoma has a significant adverse impact on RFS and should be an impetus for a multimodal approach.