Treatment Outcome of Different Chemotherapy in Patients With Relapsed or Metastatic Malignant Urachal Tumor

Evaluation of the Management of Urachal Carcinoma: A Single-Center Experience over 13 Years

INTRODUCTION

Urachal carcinoma is characterized by high malignancy, poor prognosis, and late stage of diagnosis. There is a lack of unanimous clinical treatment guidelines. We summarize the characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of urachal carcinoma from our center, hoping to provide a reference for diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 21 patients with urachal carcinoma who were treated at our center from January 2010 to August 2022, and all patients were followed up.

RESULTS

The average survival time was 67.1 ± 9.1 (ranging from 49.3 to 84.9) months. The average relapse-free survival was 48.8 ± 9.9 (ranging from 29.5 to 68.2) months. Six patients received adjuvant therapy, mainly chemotherapy. Five patients died during follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Early physical examination may be helpful for early detection of urachal carcinoma. Surgical treatment is still preferred for localized urachal carcinoma. Lymph node dissection may facilitate accurate staging, and positive margin usually results in a worse prognosis. Adjuvant therapy, mainly chemotherapy, may help improve the prognosis. The application of radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy still needs further exploration.

Relapsed urachal carcinoma responding to first-line chemotherapy with capecitabine-oxaliplatin plus bevacizumab

Introduction

Advanced urachal carcinoma has a poor prognosis; however, a standard systemic treatment has not been established. We treated a patient with relapsed urachal carcinoma with capecitabine-oxaliplatin plus bevacizumab, a standard regimen for colon cancer, and obtained favorable responses.

Case presentation

A 47-year-old woman presented with hematuria. Under the diagnosis of non-metastatic urachal carcinoma, an extended partial cystectomy was performed. Histopathological examination revealed adenocarcinoma with negative surgical margins and lymph nodes. Thirty-two months postoperatively, lung metastases and local recurrence were confirmed, along with elevated carcinoembryonic antigen levels, and nine chemotherapy cycles were administered. Subsequently, the recurrent lesion regressed, and tumor marker levels normalized. Fourteen months after treatment discontinuation, the disease remained stable without progression.

Conclusion

This is the first report of advanced urachal carcinoma treated with capecitabine-oxaliplatin plus bevacizumab, demonstrating the potential of this treatment as first-line chemotherapy for this disease.

Urachal carcinoma: a large retrospective multicentric study from the French Genito-Urinary Tumor Group

Introduction

Urachal cancer (UrC) is a rare, non-urothelial malignancy. Its natural history and management are poorly understood. Although localized to the bladder dome, the most common histological subtype of UrC is adenocarcinoma. UrC develops from an embryonic remnant, and is frequently diagnosed in advanced stage with poor prognosis. The treatment is not standardized, and based only on case reports and small series. This large retrospective multicentric study was conducted by the French Genito-Urinary Tumor Group to gain a better understanding of UrC.

Material and Methods

data has been collected retrospectively on 97 patients treated at 22 French Cancer Centers between 1996 and 2020.

Results

The median follow-up was 59 months (range 44-96). The median age at diagnosis was 53 years (range 20-86), 45% were females and 23% had tobacco exposure. For patients with localized disease (Mayo I-II, n=46) and with lymph-node invasion (Mayo III, n=13) median progression-free-survival (mPFS) was 31 months (95% CI: 20-67) and 7 months (95% CI: 6-not reached (NR)), and median overall survival (mOS) was 73 months (95% CI: 57-NR) and 22 months (95% CI: 21-NR) respectively. For 45 patients with Mayo I-III had secondary metastatic progression, and 20 patients were metastatic at diagnosis. Metastatic localization was peritoneal for 54% of patients. Most patients with localized tumor were treated with partial cystectomy, with mPFS of 20 months (95% CI: 14-49), and only 12 patients received adjuvant therapy. Metastatic patients (Mayo IV) had a mOS of 23 months (95% CI: 19-33) and 69% received a platin-fluorouracil combination treatment.

Conclusion

UrC is a rare tumor of the bladder where patients are younger with a higher number of females, and a lower tobacco exposure than in standard urothelial carcinoma. For localized tumor, partial cystectomy is recommended. The mOS and mPFS were low, notably for patients with lymph node invasion. For metastatic patients the prognosis is poor and standard therapy is not well-defined. Further clinical and biological knowledge are needed.

Current Management of Urachal Carcinoma: An Evidence-based Guide for Clinical Practice

Urachal carcinoma is a rare urological disease. The shortage of data about diagnosis and surgical treatment in literature makes it hard for clinicians to make a decision. Indeed, urachal carcinoma is an aggressive disease that requires prompt staging and treatment to ensure the best outcome for patients. We reviewed the last evidence about the management of urachal carcinoma to provide an easy-to-use guide for clinical practice.

Patient summary

Urachal carcinoma is a rare malignancy. The literature on this challenging disease remains limited. Herein, we provide a practical guide for its management from diagnosis to treatment, which in most cases requires surgical intervention or chemotherapy.