Overview
Female urinary system
Female urinary system
Your urinary system includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. The urinary system removes waste from the body through urine. The kidneys are located toward the back of the upper abdomen. They filter waste and fluid from the blood and produce urine. Urine moves from the kidneys through narrow tubes to the bladder. These tubes are called the ureters. The bladder stores urine until it's time to urinate. Urine leaves the body through another small tube called the urethra.
Male urinary system
Male urinary system
Your urinary system includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. The urinary system removes waste from the body through urine. The kidneys are located toward the back of the upper abdomen. They filter waste and fluid from the blood and produce urine. Urine moves from the kidneys through narrow tubes to the bladder. These tubes are called the ureters. The bladder stores urine until it's time to urinate. Urine leaves the body through another small tube called the urethra.
Cancer of the ureter (ureteral cancer) is an abnormal growth of cells on the inside lining of the tubes (ureters) that connect your kidneys to your bladder. Ureters are part of the urinary tract, and they carry urine produced by the kidneys to the bladder.
Ureteral cancer is uncommon. It occurs most often in older adults and in people who have previously been treated for 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 a greatly increased risk of bladder cancer, so your doctor will recommend tests to look for signs of bladder cancer.
Treatment for ureteral cancer typically involves surgery. In certain situations, chemotherapy or immunotherapy may be recommended.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of ureteral cancer include:
- Blood in urine
- Back pain
- Pain when urinating
- Losing weight without trying
- Fatigue
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any persistent signs and symptoms that worry you.
Causes
It's not clear what causes ureteral cancer.
Ureteral cancer happens when cells on the inside lining of the ureter develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. A cell's DNA contains the instructions that tell a cell what to do. The changes tell the cells to multiply rapidly and to continue living beyond their typical life cycle. The result is a growing mass of abnormal cells that can grow to block the ureter or spread to other areas of the body.
Risk factors
Factors that can increase the risk of ureteral cancer include:
- Increasing age. The risk of ureteral cancer increases with age. Most people diagnosed with this cancer are in their 70s and 80s.
- Previous bladder or kidney cancer. People who have been diagnosed with bladder cancer or kidney cancer have an increased risk of ureteral cancer.
- Smoking. Smoking tobacco increases the risk of ureteral cancer, as well as other urinary tract cancers, including kidney cancer and bladder cancer.
- Family history of cancer. Lynch syndrome, also called hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), increases the risk of colon cancer and other cancers, including ureteral cancer. If you have a strong family history of cancer, discuss it with your doctor. Together you may decide whether to consider genetic testing for Lynch syndrome and other inherited cancer syndromes.
Sept. 30, 2022
FAQs
Symptoms of ureter cancer may include:
- Blood or blood clots in the urine.
- Cramps or back pain.
- Dark urine.
- Discomfort or burning during urination.
- Fatigue.
- Frequent or urgent urination.
- Pain in the back at the juncture of the ribs and spine.
- Unintentional weight loss.
Invasive urothelial carcinoma
When this happens, cancer of the renal pelvis or ureter usually grows and spreads faster (it is aggressive). It is then more likely to be diagnosed when it's advanced. Squamous cells, gland cells and small cells are most commonly found mixed with urothelial cancer cells.
What is the most common ureteral cancer? ›
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney and ureter cancer in adults (85%). In RCC, cancerous (malignant) cells develop in the lining of the kidney's tubules and grow into a mass.
Can you survive ureter cancer? ›
Incidence and Mortality
These cancers are curable in more than 90% of patients if they are superficial and confined to the renal pelvis or ureter. Patients with deeply invasive tumors that are confined to the renal pelvis or ureter have a 10% to 15% likelihood of cure.
What is Stage 1 ureter cancer? ›
Stage I (also called stage 1)
In stage I, cancer has formed and has spread from the tissue lining the inside of the renal pelvis or ureter to the connective tissue layer.
How common is cancer in ureter? ›
Ureteral cancer is uncommon.
How long can you live with ureter cancer? ›
Survival by grade and stage
| Grade and stage | 5-year survival rate |
|---|
| The cancer is low grade and has not grown beyond the connective tissue layer (lamina propria). | 100% |
| The cancer is grade 1, 2 or 3 and only in the inner lining (urothelium). | 80% |
| The cancer is high grade and has grown into the wall of the pelvis. | 20% to 30% |
1 more rowA CT urogram examines the upper urinary tract (kidneys and ureters) in detail. This test is good at finding tumors of the kidney, renal pelvis, and ureter, as well as other urologic abnormalities. It may identify kidney stones and hydronephrosis (swelling of the kidney that is often due to downstream blockage).
What is the new treatment for ureter cancer? ›
Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab and relatlimab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving nivolumab and relatlimab may help control the disease in patients with urothelial cancer or solid tumors.
Does urethral cancer spread fast? ›
Urethral cancer can metastasize (spread) quickly to tissues around the urethra and is often found in nearby lymph nodes by the time it is diagnosed.
The tumour has grown into nearby organs or through the kidney to the surrounding fat. The cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes. The cancer has spread to other parts of the body (called distant metastasis), such as to the lungs, liver or bone. This is also called metastatic renal pelvis and ureter cancer.
Can a tumor in the ureter be benign? ›
Benign papillary ureteral tumors on rare occasions have been known to metastasize, yet they may produce implants. The main signs and symptoms of benign ureteral tumor are hematuria, pain in the loin and appearance of a mass in the loin owing to a hydronephrotic kidney. Superimposed renal infections are not unusual.
Why do you get cancer in your ureter? ›
Causes and Risk Factors for Ureter Cancer
Although the cause of ureter cancer is unknown, smoking most likely increases risks, as does exposure to a variety of chemicals and dyes found in factories that make leather goods, textiles, plastics, and rubbers. A previous history of bladder cancer also increases risk.
How do you test for ureter cancer? ›
A ureteroscopy uses a thin tube with a light and lens on the end (called a ureteroscope) to look inside the ureters and renal pelvis. It is used to look for any tumours or abnormal areas. Biopsy samples may be taken during a ureteroscopy.
What is ureter cancer also known as? ›
Ureteral cancer is cancer of the ureters, muscular tubes that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. It is also known as ureter cancer, renal pelvic cancer, and rarely ureteric cancer or uretal cancer.
Is ureter cancer treatable? ›
Cancer that is only in the kidney or ureter may be cured with surgery. Cancer that has spread to other organs is usually not curable.
What cancer starts in ureter? ›
Urothelial carcinoma (also called transitional cell carcinoma) is a cancerous tumour of the renal pelvis and ureter that can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. Cancerous tumours are also called malignant tumours.
