CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL FACTORS AND RECURRENCE-FREE SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS WITH UPPER TRACT UROTHELIAL CARCINOMA AFTER SURGICAL TREATMENT, КЛІНІКО-МОРФОЛОГІЧНІ ФАКТОРИ ТА БЕЗРЕЦИДИВНА ВИЖИВАНІСТЬ ПАЦІЄНТІВ ІЗ УРОТЕЛІАЛЬНОЮ КАРЦИНОМОЮ ВЕРХНІХ СЕЧОВИВІДНИХ ШЛЯХІВ ПІСЛЯ ХІРУРГІЧНОГО ЛІКУВАННЯ

<jats:p>OBJECTIVE. To assess the clinical and morphological characteristics of patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and their association with surgical treatment outcomes and recurrence-free survival.MATERIALS AND METHODS. A retrospective study included 42 patients with morphologically verified UTUC of the renal pelvis without distant metastases at the time of primary surgery. Patients were divided into two groups: 20 patients who underwent localized kidney-sparing tumor removal (renal pelvic-ureteric segment resection, MSS) and 22 patients who underwent radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). The analysis included sex, age, smoking history, body mass index, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, hydro-/ureterohydronephrosis, urine pH, leukocyturia and hematuria, T stage, tumor grade, and recurrence-free survival. Statistical analysis was performed using StatPlus with correlation analysis and Fisher’s exact test; p&lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS. The mean patient age was 62.4±5.1 years; 61.9% were men and 38.1% were women. Low-grade tumors were identified in 14 (33.3%) patients and high-grade tumors in 28 (66.7%). T2 was the most common stage (50.0%), followed by T3 (40.4%). Leukocyturia and hematuria were significantly associated with high-grade tumors. Mean urine pH was lower in the high-grade group than in the low-grade group (5.0 vs. 7.3; p&lt;0.05). According to the data provided in the original manuscript, recurrence-free survival in the entire cohort was 41.7 months (49.8%). In low-grade patients, it was 55.9 months (83.1%) after localized treatment and 17.9 months (0%) after RNU; in high-grade patients, 41.7 months (42.9%) and 33.2 months (33.3%), respectively.CONCLUSIONS. In this cohort, UTUC was predominantly observed in men and was characterized by a high proportion of high-grade and T2–T3 tumors. Leukocyturia, hematuria, and lower urine pH were associated with more aggressive morphological characteristics. Recurrence-free survival differed according to tumor grade and surgical treatment.</jats:p>