Recurrence of bladder tumors following surgery for transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract.

A retrospective analysis of 53 patients with an upper urinary tract (UUT) transitional cell carcinoma, which was treated surgically, was performed in relation to the development of a subsequent bladder tumor. In 19 of the 53 patients (35.8%) bladder tumors developed following surgery of a UUT tumor. The simultaneous occurrence of a bladder tumor and more than two tumors in the UUT had a significant influence on the rate of bladder tumor recurrence. On the other hand, location, mode of growth, grade, stage and vascular invasion of the UUT tumor, and history of bladder tumors did not seem to be related to the frequency of subsequent bladder tumors. These findings suggest that the diversity of UUT tumors at the time of diagnosis is an important factor in bladder tumor recurrence. Therefore, clinical and pathological examinations should be carefully performed in patients with UUT tumors.