Upper Tract Bladder Cancer

Upper Tract Bladder Cancer

From emedicine of webMD

"Urothelial tumors of the renal pelvis and ureters (upper urinary tract) are relatively rare.
Tumors of the renal pelvis account for approximately 10% of all renal tumors and
approximately 5% of all urothelial tumors.

Urethral tumors are even more uncommon, occurring with one quarter the frequency
of renal pelvis tumors. Transitional (TCC) accounts for more than 90% of urothelial tumors
of the upper urinary tract."

Renal pelvis
The renal pelvis is the portion of the urinary collecting system formed by the confluence of 2 or 3 major calices.

Ureter
The ureter is a 20- to 30-cm tubular structure lying on the psoas muscle.
It follows an S-shaped curve, passing medially to the sacroiliac joint and
then coursing laterally near the ischial spine before passing medially to
penetrate the base of the bladder. It passes through a submucosal tunnel
to empty into the bladder.

Histology
The renal pelvis and ureter are lined by a transitional epithelium. The next layer
is the lamina propria. External to the lamina propria is smooth muscle arranged in a spiral and longitudinal manner.
The outermost adventitia is composed of fibrous connective tissue.