Segmental ureterectomy vs. radical nephroureterectomy for ureteral carcinoma in patients with a preoperative glomerular filtration rate less than 90 ml/min/1.73 m2: A multicenter study

Abstract Objectives To compare segmental ureterectomy (SU) and radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) in terms of overall survival (OS) and impact on postoperative renal function in patients treated for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) of the ureter with preoperatively reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Materials and methods We retrospectively collected the data of consecutive patients treated for UTUC, in 6 Italian tertiary referral centers, from 2003 to 2013, and analyzed those treated with RNU or SU for ureteral cancer and with a preoperative eGFR Results Out of 521 patients with UTUC, 228 patients had preoperative reduced eGFR. Out of these patients, 93 had ureteral cancer and were included in the primary analyses – 67 (72.0%) treated with RNU and 26 (28.0%) with SU. Preoperative characteristics were similar in the 2 groups. The overall median follow-up period was 26.5 months. A nonsignificant postoperative eGFR decrease of 3.0 ml/min/1.73m2 was found overall (P = 0.094), with nonsignificant difference between the 2 groups (P = 0.735). A comparable 5-year OS was calculated for RNU and SU patients (P = 0.99). Conclusions The type of surgery (SU vs. RNU) has a low impact on postoperative renal function and OS in patients with ureteral cancer and preoperative eGFR