Traitement conservateur des tumeurs de la voie excrétrices supérieure : revue de littérature systématique pour le rapport scientifique annuel de l’Association française d’urologie

Abstract

To assess techniques, indications and results of conservative surgical management in upper tract urothelial carcinomas (UTUCs). A systematic review of the scientific literature was performed in the Medline database (PubMed) using different associations of the following key words alone or in combination: ureter; renal pelvis; urothelial carcinoma; cancer; survival; renal insufficiency; ureteroscopy; kidney; grade; stage; surveillance. Conservative management is indicated in imperative cases (solitary kidney) or in elective cases to preserve renal function as much as possible. When a patient has two kidneys, indications of conservative treatment are dedicated to UTUC with the following characteristics: less than 1cm, low grade, unique contingent upon the fact that the patient has understood that stringent follow-up was mandatory. Current technique of reference is flexible ureteroscopy but open segmental ureterectomy is still indicated in isolated tumor of distal ureter. Oncologic outcomes after conservative management are equivalent to those obtained after nephroureterectomy in low grade/volume UTUCs. Indications of conservative management in UTUCs have been expanded in the past years in relationship with the development of new and sophisticated endourological ureteroscopes to obtain good oncologic outcomes contingent upon a stringent follow-up and even a systematic second look procedure in certain cases.