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