Urologie pro praxi 2/2022

Primary urethral carcinoma

Primary urethral carcinomas (PUCs) are rare and account for less than 1 % of genitourinary cancers. Most of the data rely on studies with small numbers of patients or case reports. PUCs occur more commonly in men, and differ by location and histologic subtype. Patients symptoms often include urinary obstruction, irritative voiding symptoms, or hematuria. Risk factors include urethral strictures, chronic irritation of urine tube, radiation treatment, human papilloma virus, and urethral diverticula (females). Most PUCs are localized; however, 30 % to 40 % of patients present with regional lymph node metastasis. Stage and anatomic location of the PUCs guide the choice of treatment modality and are the main determinants of prognosis and survival. Although surgery and radiation treatment are options for early stage or distal urethral disease, advanced stage and proximal PUCs require multimodal treatment to optimize survival. There are needed further experience and multidisciplinary cooperation of doctors of more expertise.

Keywords: primary urethral carcinoma, diagnosis, therapy.