Primary carcinoma of female urethra.

The clinical and morphologic features in 29 cases of primary carcinoma of the female urethra were reviewed. Only 2 of 12 patients treated with radiotherapy are known to have failed; one is dead of disease at one year, and the other is alive with local recurrence at two years. We consider these results sufficiently satisfactory to warrant the continued use of radiotherapy in early-stage lesions, as well as in selected patients who have infiltrating carcinoma. Integrated therapy consisting of 5,000 rad/25 fractions/five weeks, followed in six weeks by radical cystourethrectomy, was used in 7 patients. The low morbidity and absence of operative mortality recommend continuation of this aggressive approach for infiltrating tumors in selected patients.