Urethral recurrence in a woman after continent orthotopic urinary diversion for bladder cancer

Treatment and outcomes of urethral recurrence after orthotopic neobladder replacement in patients with bladder cancer - practice in a single centre

Objectives

To report on the treatment of urethral recurrence after orthotopic urinary diversion at our institution.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed clinical information of urethral recurrence in patients who underwent radical cystectomy and orthotopic urinary diversion between January 1998 and January 2013.

Results

Of 341 patients, 282 presented for follow-up (median follow-up: 56 months; range: 1–174 months). Eight patients developed local recurrence of urothelial cancer after radical cystectomy. The rate of urethral recurrence (1.4%) in female patients who underwent orthotopic urinary diversion was lower than in male patients (3.3%). The median (range) time to recurrence was 33 (6–120) months after radical cystectomy and orthotopic urinary diversion. Recurrences were treated by transurethral resection of tumour, urethrectomy, neobladder resection, revision of urinary diversion, adjuvant chemotherapy, or radiation therapy, based on individual circumstances. Survival analysis showed that 5-year cancer-specific survival was significantly higher in patients with urethral recurrence alone (83.3%), compared with patients with other recurrences, including pelvic/abdomen recurrence and distant metastasis (26.8%).

Conclusions

En bloc urethrectomy and revision of urinary diversion remain the principle surgical choices. Selection of transurethral tumour resection was based on tumour stage and was used in carefully chosen patients. Cancer-specific survival might depend on multidisciplinary therapy.

Treatment and Outcomes of Urethral Recurrence of Urinary Bladder Cancer in Women after Radical Cystectomy and Orthotopic Neobladder: A Series of 12 Cases

Introduction: The incidence, treatment, and outcome of urethral recurrence (UR) after radical cystectomy (RC) for muscle-invasive bladder cancer with orthotopic neobladder in women have rarely been addressed in the literature. Patients and Methods: A total of 12 patients (median age at recurrence: 60 years) who experienced UR after RC with an orthotopic neobladder were selected for this study from a cohort of 456 women from participating institutions. The primary clinical and pathological characteristics at RC, including the manifestation of the UR and its treatment and outcome, were reviewed. Results: The primary bladder tumors in the 12 patients were urothelial carcinoma in 8 patients, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma in 1 patient each, and mixed histology in 2 patients. Three patients (25%) had lymph node-positive disease at RC. The median time from RC to the detection of UR was 8 months (range 4-55). Eight recurrences manifested with clinical symptoms and 4 were detected during follow-up or during a diagnostic work-up for clinical symptoms caused by distant metastases. Treatment modalities were surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and bacillus Calmette-Guérin urethral instillations. Nine patients died of cancer. The median survival after the diagnosis of UR was 6 months. Conclusions: UR after RC with an orthotopic neobladder in females is rare. Solitary, noninvasive recurrences have a favorable prognosis when detected early. Invasive recurrences are often associated with local and distant metastases and have a poor prognosis.