Cancer - renal pelvis or ureter

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Kidney anatomy

Transitional cell cancer of the renal pelvis or ureter

The goal of treatment is to eliminate the cancer.

Surgical removal of all or part of the kidney (nephrectomy) is usually recommended. This may include removal of part of the bladder and surrounding tissues or lymph nodes. If the tumor is in the ureter, it may be possible to remove it while preserving the kidney.

When the cancer has spread outside of the kidney or ureter, chemotherapy is often used. Because these tumors behave similarly to transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, the chemotherapy regimens used are similar to those used for bladder cancer.

For additional information and resources, see cancer support groups.

The outcome varies depending on the exact location of the tumor and whether the cancer has metastasized. Cancer localized to the kidney or ureter can be cured with surgery.

Cancer that has metastasized to other organs is usually not curable, though there are exceptions.

• Local spread of the tumor with increasing pain
• Spread of the cancer
• Kidney failure

Call your health care provider if the symptoms listed above are present.

Review Date: 09/11/2006
Reviewed By: Rita Nanda, M.D., Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.