Urachal carcinoma: contemporary surgical outcomes.

Abstract

We determined surgical outcomes in a contemporary series of patients who underwent surgery for urachal carcinoma. A cohort of 50 patients with clinically staged localized urachal carcinoma underwent extended partial cystectomy, including the urachal tumor mass and entire urachus. The patients were followed a median of 5+ years for cancer-free survival. Of the 50 patients 93% (26 of 28) with tumor confined to the urachus and bladder survived compared to 69% (9 of 13) with extravesical or peri-urachal tumor invasion and none (9 patients) with tumor invasion into the peritoneal cavity. Local recurrence was noted in 9 patients (18%) and 2 had salvage therapy. The most significant predictors of survival were pathological tumor stage and negative surgical margins. Wide resection of the tumor mass and entire urachus resulting in negative soft tissue and bladder margins cures the majority of nonmetastatic urachal cancers.