Description

Ureteral cancer is a growth of cells that begins in the ureters. The ureters are tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder. The ureters are part of the urinary tract. They carry urine produced by the kidneys to the bladder.

Ureteral cancer is not common. When this happens, it occurs most often in older adults and in people who have had bladder cancer.

Ureteral cancer is closely related to bladder cancer. The cells that line the ureters are the same type of cells that line the inside of the bladder. People diagnosed with ureteral cancer have an increased risk of bladder cancer. So, people with ureteral cancer are usually tested for signs of bladder cancer.

Treatment for ureteral cancer usually involves surgery. In certain situations, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy may be recommended.

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of urethral cancer include:

  • Blood in the urine, which can cause the urine to red, pink or cola colored.
  • Back pain.
  • Pain when you urinate.
  • Losing weight without trying.
  • Feeling very tired.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with a doctor or other health care professional if you have any persistent symptoms that worry you.

Causes

It is not clear what causes ureteral cancer. Ureteral cancer that begins as a growth of the cells in a ureter. The ureters are tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder.

Ureteral cancer occurs when the cells in a ureter to develop changes in their DNA. A cell's DNA contains the instructions that tell the cell what to do. In healthy cells, the DNA tells the cells to grow and multiply at a set rate. The DNA also tells the cells to die at a set time.

In cancer cells, changes in DNA gives other instructions. The changes tell cancer cells to grow and multiply quickly. Cancer cells can continue living when healthy cells would die. This makes too many cells.

The cancer cells may form a mass called a tumor. The tumor can grow to invade and destroy healthy body tissue. At the time, cancer cells can break off and spread to other parts of the body. When cancer spreads, it is called metastatic cancer.

Risk factors

Factors that may increase the risk of ureteral cancer include:

  • The increase of the age. The risk of ureteral cancer increases with age. The majority of people diagnosed with this cancer in the 70's and 80 years.
  • Previous bladder or kidney cancer. People who have been diagnosed with bladder cancer or kidney cancer have an increased risk of ureteral cancer.
  • The smoking of tobacco. Smoking tobacco increases the risk of ureteral cancer. It also increases the risk of other cancers of the urinary tract, including kidney cancer and bladder cancer.
  • Exposure to certain chemicals. Working with certain chemicals is linked to an increased risk of ureteral cancer.
  • Family history of cancer. If you have a strong family history of cancer, talk with your health care professional. Together, you can decide whether to consider genetic testing for hereditary cancer syndromes, such as Lynch syndrome. Lynch syndrome increases the risk of colon cancer and other cancers, including ureteral cancer.

Prevention

Although there is no sure way to prevent ureteral cancer, you can take steps to help reduce your risk. For example:

Do not smoke

If you don't smoke, don't start. If you smoke, talk with your healthcare provider about a plan to help you quit. Support groups, medications, and other methods can help you to stop smoking.

Be careful around chemicals

If you work with chemicals, follow all safety instructions to prevent harmful exposure.

Choose from a variety of fruits and vegetables

Eat many different types of colorful fruits and vegetables. The antioxidants in fruits and vegetables may help reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.

Diagnosis

To diagnose ureteral cancer, a health professional may start by asking about your symptoms and examining your body. You could have a procedure to look inside the urinary tract for signs of cancer. Other procedures and tests include urine tests, and imaging tests.

Physical examination

A healthcare provider may do a physical exam to better understand your condition. The health professional may also ask you questions about your symptoms.

Imaging tests

Imaging tests create pictures of the body. They can help health professionals to better understand the size of the cancer. Imaging tests can also look for signs that the cancer may have spread beyond the ureter. The test image is used for ureteral cancer may include:

  • Intravenous pyelography.
  • The computed tomography urogram, also called a CT urogram.
  • Magnetic resonance urogram, also called MR urogram.
  • The positron emission tomography scan, also called a PET.

Your healthcare team decides that the evidence of image that you need based on your situation. The information of these procedures are used to assign a stage to the cancer. The scenario tells your health care team about the extent of the cancer and its prognosis.

Urine tests

You can submit to a urine analysis to analyze the urine. A urine cytology test can be used to search for cells in a urine sample.

The use of a thin, lighted tube to view the ureters

During a procedure called a kidney stone, a health care professional inserts a thin, lighted tube equipped with a camera into the urethra. The device is passed through the bladder into the ureters.

Ureteroscopy is made possible by a health professional to inspect the ureters. If necessary, a biopsy is taken during the procedure. A biopsy is a procedure to remove a sample of tissue for testing in a lab.

In the laboratory, the tests can look for signs of cancer. Other tests can detect changes in the DNA inside the cancer cells. The results of these tests can help your health care team to make a plan of treatment.

Tests for bladder cancer

People diagnosed with ureteral cancer have a high risk of bladder cancer. Bladder cancer can occur at the same time as the ureteral cancer or grow after treatment. Imaging tests may be used to examine the bladder and look for signs of cancer. In a procedure called a cystoscopy, a health care professional can use a telescope to see the inside of the bladder.

Treatment

Treatment options for ureteral cancer are surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. The treatment depends on many factors. These factors include the size and location of the cancer, how aggressive the cells, and their own goals and preferences.

Surgery

The surgery is often recommended to remove ureteral cancer. The type of surgery that is used for ureteral cancer will depend on your cancer.

For a small ureteral cancer that has not spread beyond the ureter, the surgery can remove only a portion of the ureter.

For ureteral cancer grows or spreads beyond the ureter, it may be necessary to remove more. The surgeon may remove the affected ureter, associated with the kidneys and the bladder. This procedure is sometimes referred to as a nephroureterectomy.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy treats the cancer with strong medications. Chemotherapy is sometimes used before surgery to reduce the size of the cancer. This can make it easier to remove during surgery. Chemotherapy may be used after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that may remain.

For advanced ureteral cancer, chemotherapy may be used to control the symptoms of cancer.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment with a medication that helps the body's immune system destroys the cancer cells. The immune system fights diseases by attacking the germs and other cells that should not be in the body. Cancer cells survive by hiding from the immune system. Immunotherapy helps the cells of the immune system find and kill cancer cells.

Immunotherapy may be an option for the advanced treatment of ureteral cancer that spreads to lymph nodes or other parts of the body. It is sometimes used in combination with targeted therapies.

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy for cancer is a treatment that uses drugs that attack specific chemicals in cancer cells. By blocking these chemicals, specific treatments can cause cancer cells to die. The cancer cells can be tested to see if targeted therapy is unlikely to be effective.

Targeted therapy may be used for the advanced treatment of ureteral cancer.

Follow-up examinations

After your treatment, your health care team can create a schedule of follow-up examinations. During these tests, computer checks for signs that his cancer has returned. The team also looks for signs of cancer of the bladder, because the people who are diagnosed with ureteral cancer have an increased risk of bladder cancer.

The evidence that we have, and the scheduling of tests depend on your situation. The majority of the people to see to their care teams every few months during the first year. After that, the visits may be less frequent.

Preparing for your appointment

If you have any symptoms that worry you, make an appointment with a doctor or other health care professional.

If you are diagnosed with ureteral cancer, probably refers to a urologist or an oncologist. It is a doctor that specializes in diseases that affect the urinary system. An oncologist is a physician who specializes in the treatment of cancer.

Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.

What you can do

  • Note of the symptoms you are experiencing. If you have had symptoms of the disease or simply don't feel well, make a note of all the details before your appointment. Your healthcare provider will also want to know when you first noticed these symptoms and if they have changed over time.
  • Make a list of your medications. Include any prescription drugs you are taking and any drugs that you take on that you do not need a prescription. Also, keep in mind all the vitamins, supplements and herbal remedies.
  • Have a family member or friend. Sometimes it can be difficult to remember all the information provided during an appointment. Someone who is with you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
  • Write questions to ask their health professional.

Questions to ask your health care provider at your initial appointment include:

  • What can be causing my symptoms or condition?
  • There are other possible causes?
  • What kinds of tests do I need?
  • What do you recommend for the following steps in the determination of my diagnosis and the treatment?
  • Are there any restrictions I need to follow in the meantime?

Questions to consider if you are referred to a specialist include:

  • I have ureteral cancer?
  • What are the goals of treatment in my case?
  • What treatment do you recommend it?
  • What do I need to start treatment right away?
  • I have these other health conditions. How can I best treat together?
  • What are the possible side effects of treatment?
  • If the first treatment does not succeed, what can we try?
  • What is the outlook for my condition?

Do not hesitate to ask other questions.

What to expect from your doctor

Your health care team is likely to ask you questions, such as:

  • What are your symptoms, if any?
  • When did your symptoms begin?
  • How the symptoms changed over time?
  • Have you been diagnosed or treated for any other medical condition?
  • What medications are you taking?
Symptoms and treatment of Ureteral cancer