Male urethral carcinoma: Analysis of treatment outcome

Objectives. To evaluate our experience with primary carcinomas of the male urethra and to analyze the impact of tumor variables and treatment on overa ll, disease-specific, local recurrence-free, and metastasis-free survival. Methods. Between 1958 and 1996, we identified 46 men with primary carcinoma of the bulbar and anterior urethra. The median follow-up was 125 months (1 to 336). The patients were stratified by stage, nodal status, histologic t ype, treatment, type of surgery, site of disease, year at diagnosis, and sm oking status. Results. The overall survival and disease-specific survival rates at 5 year s were 42% and 50%, respectively. The recurrence-free survival and metastas is-free survival rates at 5 years were 51% and 56%, respectively. The overa ll survival rate was 83% for superficial disease versus 36% for invasive tu mors. The overall survival rate was 26% for tumors of the bulbar urethra ve rsus 69% for tumors of the anterior urethra. Conclusions. Current modalities of treatment are ineffective for local cont rol and survival. New treatment strategies are needed for urethral cancer. UROLOGY 53: 1126-1132, 1999. (C) 1999, Elsevier Science Inc. All rights res erved.