Transitional cell carcinoma involving the ureterovesical part of a transplanted ureter.

Ureterovesical malignancy in the renal transplant recipient is an infrequent occurrence. We report a woman with a cadaver kidney recipient, transplanted 10 years ago, with transitional-cell carcinoma at the ureterovesical part of the transplanted ureter invading the bladder muscle around the orifice. Though aggressive surgery and chemotherapy of such patients is proposed, most patients die after an average of 16-17 months. In our patient we have done partial ureter and bladder resection in order to preserve kidney graft and bladder. We continued immunosuppressive treatment. The patient has survived 16 months and is symptom free. Our case suggests that nonaggressive operative treatment without chemotherapy in selected patients may provide comparable survival to patients with aggressive treatment, but with better quality of life.