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Eble JN, Sauter G., Epstein JI, Sesterhenn IA - iarc

Eble JN, Sauter G., Epstein JI, Sesterhenn IA - iarc

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nodular, ulcerative or infiltrative. Some<br />

tumours distend the entire pelvis while<br />

others ulcerate and infiltrate, causing<br />

thickening of the wall. A high grade<br />

tumour may appear as an ill defined scirrhous<br />

mass that involves the renal<br />

parenchyma, mimicking a primary renal<br />

epithelial neoplasm. Hydronephrosis and<br />

stones may be present in renal pelvic<br />

tumours while hydroureter and/or stricture<br />

may accompany ureteral neoplasms.<br />

Multifocality must be assessed<br />

in all nephroureterectomy specimens.<br />

Tumour staging<br />

There is a separate TNM staging system<br />

for tumours of the renal pelvis and ureter<br />

{944,2662}. Slight differences based on<br />

anatomical distinctions exist in the pT 3<br />

designation of renal pelvis and ureteral<br />

tumours.<br />

Histopathology<br />

The basic histopathology of renal pelvis<br />

urothelial malignancies mirrors bladder<br />

urothelial neoplasia and may occur as<br />

papillary non-invasive tumours (papillary<br />

urothelial neoplasm of low malignant<br />

potential, low grade papillary carcinoma<br />

or high grade papillary carcinoma), carcinoma-in-situ<br />

and invasive carcinoma.<br />

The entire morphologic spectrum of vesical<br />

urothelial carcinoma is seen and<br />

tumour types include those showing<br />

aberrant differentiation (squamous and<br />

glandular), unusual morphology (nested,<br />

microcystic, micropapillary, clear cell<br />

and plasmacytoid) and poorly differentiated<br />

carcinoma (lymphoepithelioma-like,<br />

sarcomatoid and giant cell) {355,399,<br />

656,727,2706}. Concurrence of aberrant<br />

differentiation, unusual morphology or<br />

undifferentiated carcinoma with conventional<br />

invasive poorly differentiated carcinoma<br />

is frequent.<br />

Grading<br />

The grading system for urothelial<br />

tumours is identical to that employed for<br />

bladder tumours.<br />

Fig. 2.94 Loss of expression of the DNA mismatch<br />

repair gene MLH1 in an area of low grade urothelial<br />

dysplasia.<br />

Fig. 2.95 Tumours of the ureter and renal pelvis.<br />

Microsatellite instability in 4 markers of the consensus<br />

Bethesda panel {264}.<br />

Genetics<br />

Urothelial carcinomas of the renal pelvis,<br />

ureter and urinary bladder share similar<br />

genetic alterations {734,2197}. Deletions<br />

on chromosome 9p and 9q occur in 50-<br />

75% of all patients {734,993,2197,2554}<br />

and frequent deletions at 17p in addition<br />

to p53 mutations, are seen in advanced<br />

invasive tumours {321,993}. 20-30% of all<br />

upper urinary tract cancers demonstrate<br />

microsatellite instability and loss of the<br />

mismatch repair proteins MSH2, MLH1 or<br />

MSH6 {251,1032,1507}. Mutations in<br />

genes with repetitive sequences in the<br />

coding region (TGFβRII, bax, MSH3,<br />

MSH6) are found in 20-33% of cases with<br />

MSI, indicating a molecular pathway of<br />

carcinogenesis that is similar to some<br />

mismatch repair-deficient colorectal cancers.<br />

Tumours with microsatellite instability<br />

have significantly different clinical and<br />

histopathological features including low<br />

tumour stage and grade, papillary and<br />

frequently inverted growth pattern and a<br />

higher prevalence in female patients<br />

{1028,1032}.<br />

Prognosis and predictive factors<br />

The most important prognostic factor is<br />

tumour stage and for invasive tumours<br />

the depth of invasion. A potential pitfall is<br />

that, while involvement of the renal<br />

parenchyma is categorized as a pT 3<br />

tumour, some tumours that invade the<br />

muscularis (pT 2 ) may show extension<br />

into renal tubules in a pagetoid or intramucosal<br />

pattern and this should not be<br />

designated as pT 3 . Survival for patients<br />

with pT a /pT is lesions is essentially 100%,<br />

Genetic susceptibility<br />

Familial history of kidney cancer {2245}<br />

is generall considered a risk factor.<br />

Urothelial carcinomas of the upper<br />

urothelial tract occur in the setting of<br />

hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer<br />

(HNPCC) syndrome (Lynch syndrome<br />

II) {251}.<br />

Fig. 2.96 Lymphoepithelioma-like urothelial carcinoma of the ureter. Inset shows cytokeratin AE1/AE3<br />

immunostain.<br />

152 Tumours of the urinary system

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