URETHRAL TUMOR RECURRENCE FOLLOWING CYSTECTOMY AND URINARY DIVERSION: CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN 768 MALE PATIENTS

At long-term followup urethral tumor recurrence occurs in approximately 7% of men following cystectomy for bladder transitional cell carcinoma. Involvement of the prostate with tumor and the form of urinary diversion were significant and independent risk factors for urethral tumor recurrence. Patients undergoing orthotopic diversion have a lower incidence of urethral recurrence compared with those undergoing cutaneous diversion. Although prostate tumor involvement is a risk factor for urethral recurrence, it should not preclude orthotopic diversion, provided that intraoperative frozen section analysis of the urethral margin is without evidence of tumor.