Preoperative positive urine cytology is a risk factor for subsequent development of bladder cancer after nephroureterectomy in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.

Purpose: To determine the independent risk factors of bladder recurrence in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UUT-UC).

Methods: A total of 364 patients underwent nephroureterectomy (NUx) for UUT-UC between January 2005 and April 2009 in Okayama University and 17 affiliated hospitals. Patients with concomitant bladder cancer were excluded from the analysis.