Docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy with concurrent radiation for unresectable advanced urethral carcinoma

Progress in the treatment of urethral adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Urothelial adenocarcinoma (UA) is a rare subtype of primary urothelial carcinoma, which is more common in women and has a poor prognosis. Because of their low incidence, most of the existing literature is based on case reports and there is a lack of comprehensive literature on this type of tumor.

PURPOSE

This article provides a comprehensive and systematic review of the epidemiology, pathological types, treatment, and prognosis of UA. Especially in the treatment section, we reviewed the various treatment methods including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and molecular targeted therapy. This review aims to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical diagnosis and management of UA.

METHODS

We reviewed the relevant literature of UA from Pubmed.

CONCLUSION

There is no standard treatment for UA. Multidisciplinary therapy, including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, is the current trend. Immunotherapy and molecular targeted therapy will also become viable options for the treatment of UA in future.

European Association of Urology Guidelines on Primary Urethral Carcinoma-2020 Update

CONTEXT

Primary urethral carcinoma (PUC) is a rare cancer accounting for <1% of all genitourinary malignancies.

OBJECTIVE

To provide updated practical recommendations for the diagnosis and management of PUC.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

A systematic search interrogating Ovid (Medline), EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was performed.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

Urothelial carcinoma of the urethra is the predominant histological type of PUC (54-65%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (16-22%) and adenocarcinoma (10-16%). Diagnosis of PUC depends on urethrocystoscopy with biopsy and urinary cytology. Pathological staging and grading are based on the tumour, node, metastasis (TNM) classification and the 2016 World Health Organization grading systems. Local tumour extent and regional lymph nodes are assessed by magnetic resonance imaging, and the presence of distant metastases is assessed by computed tomography of the thorax/abdomen and pelvis. For all patients with localised distal tumours (≤T2N0M0), partial urethrectomy or urethra-sparing surgery is a valid treatment option, provided that negative intraoperative surgical margins can be achieved. Prostatic Ta-Tis-T1 PUC can be treated with repeat transurethral resection of the prostate and bacillus Calmette-Guérin. In prostatic or proximal ≥ T2N0 disease, neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy should be considered prior to radical surgery. All patients with locally advanced disease (≥T3N0-2M0) should be discussed within a multidisciplinary team. In men with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma, curative radiotherapy combined with radiosensitising chemotherapy can be offered for definitive treatment and genital preservation. In patients with local urethral recurrence, salvage surgery or radiotherapy can be offered. For patients with distant metastatic disease, systemic therapy based on tumour characteristics can be evaluated.

CONCLUSIONS

These updated European Association of Urology guidelines provide up-to-date guidance for the contemporary diagnosis and management of patients with suspected PUC.

PATIENT SUMMARY

Primary urethral carcinoma (PUC) is a very rare, but aggressive disease. These updated European Association of Urology guidelines provide evidence-based guidance for clinicians treating patients with PUC.

Nanoparticle albumin-bound-Paclitaxel in the treatment of metastatic urethral adenocarcinoma: the significance of molecular profiling and targeted therapy

Primary urethral cancer is rare and accounts for only 0.003% of all malignancies arising from the female genitourinary tract. Due to the rarity of this disease, no consensus exists regarding the optimal therapeutic approach. Nanoparticle albumin-bound-paclitaxel has been shown to be effective in the treatment of a number of malignancies including metastatic breast, pancreatic, and bladder cancer. We present a 67-year-old woman with advanced metastatic urethral adenocarcinoma resistant to two lines of chemotherapy (ifosfamide/paclitaxel/cisplatin and irinotecan/5-fluorouracil/leucovorin) that showed a dramatic response to nanoparticle albumin-bound-paclitaxel. This is the first case report to document the use and efficacy of nanoparticle albumin-bound-paclitaxel in the treatment of unresectable metastatic urethral cancer.