What Is Ureteral Cancer?

Ureteral cancer forms in the ureters, which are tubes that connect the kidneys and the bladder. The urinary tract includes two ureters, and urine passes through these tubes into the bladder. This rare form of cancer is more common in older adults than younger people and affects more men than women. Among the most common risk factors for ureteral cancer are smoking, bladder cancer, and exposure to toxins.

This cancer forms in the lining of one or both of the ureters. It can also spread to the kidneys and bladder. Men are more likely to get this form of cancer, and older adults are more prone to ureteral cancer than young individuals. It is, however, extremely rare, as only a small percentage of the malignant tumors that occur in the urinary tract are this type of cancer.

Risk factors for this condition include smoking, a history of bladder cancer, and prescription drug abuse, but scientists don't know what causes it. People that get frequent infections of the urinary tract may also have an increased risk of developing this condition. Overuse of toxic chemicals and dyes may also play a role in the development of this type of cancer as well. This may be partially due to the fact that toxins pass through the ureters on their way from the body.

Bloody urine, fatigue, pain in the back and abdomen, and sudden, unexplainable weight loss are among the symptoms of this condition. Most of the time, however, a person does not recognize these symptoms as cancer and suspects another illness. In fact, at the very beginning of this cancer’s development, a person may not have any symptoms at all. Often, a diagnosis occurs accidentally, as a medical practitioner discovers cancer during a screening for another affliction.

Diagnosis of cancer of the ureter is made with the help of various tests and exams. One of the main tests done to diagnose ureteral cancer is a urine test. This test allows a doctor to analyze urine for suspicious-looking cells, contents, and colors.

Another test done to diagnose this form of cancer is called a ureteroscopy. During this test, a small telescope called a ureteroscope is inserted into a ureter, allowing a medical practitioner to see its inside walls. Through this telescope, the doctor can also take a tissue sample to analyze for tumors. Such testing is typically referred to as a biopsy.

The main treatment for this cancer is surgical removal of the tumors. In many cases, an entire kidney and ureter must be removed from the body to get rid of the tumors and successfully treat ureteral cancer; people can live with a sole kidney. Sometimes only a section of a ureter is removed, and surgeons reconnect the remaining parts of the ureter to each other or the bladder. The size of the tumor influences the extent of organ removal.