Primary Urinary Tract Lymphoma: Rare but Aggressive

Anticancer Res. 2017 Dec;37(12):6989-6995. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.12167.

Abstract

Background: Primary urinary tract lymphoma (PUTL) is an uncommon disease with only a few case reports in the literature.

Materials and methods: Information about 1,264 patients diagnosed between 1983 and 2013 with PUTL was extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariable regression analysis were used to analyze the survival and identify prognostic factors. A comparison of nodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with PUTL DLBCL was performed. In addition, we compared the characteristics of kidney and bladder lymphoma.

Results: PUTL incidence was 1 case/1,000,000 people per year. DLBCL was found to be the predominant histology. Five-year overall survival and cancer-specific survival were 49% and 58%, respectively. DLBCL histology, male gender, stage III-IV disease, and advanced age were found to be poor prognostic factors. Surgery may be beneficial. Urinary tract DLBCL has a worse prognosis than nodal DLBCL.

Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the largest population-based study of PUTL in the literature. The survival of patients has not improved in the era of modern therapies therefore new treatments are needed.

Keywords: Kidney lymphoma; bladder lymphoma; renal lymphoma.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Lymphoma / epidemiology
  • Lymphoma / pathology*
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / epidemiology
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / pathology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prognosis
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • SEER Program / statistics & numerical data*
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Urinary Tract / pathology*