Cancer - renal pelvis or ureter

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Kidney anatomy

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Cancer - renal pelvis or ureter

Definition:

The kidneys collect urine in a section called the pelvis. The pelvis and its subdivisions (calyces) empty urine into a tube called the ureter, which leads to the bladder. Cancer can grow in this urine collection system, but is uncommon.

Alternative Names:

Transitional cell cancer of the renal pelvis or ureter

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

As a group, renal pelvis and ureter cancers account for no more than 5% of all cancers of the kidney and upper urinary tract. They affect men more often than women and are more common in people older than 65.

Tumors of the renal pelvis and ureter are usually transitional cell cancers. Approximately 10% are squamous cell carcinomas.

The causes of this cancer are not completely known. Chronic (long-term) irritation of the kidney from harmful substances excreted in the urine may be a factor and may result from the following:

Smoking
Analgesic nephropathy
Exposure to aniline dyes and chemicals used in the manufacturing of leather goods, textiles, plastics, and rubber

Patients with a previous history of bladder cancer are also at risk.

Review Date: 8/3/2004
Reviewed By: Marcia S. Brose, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Hematology/Oncology, The University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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