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 overall, 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 type, treatment, type of surgery, site of disease, year at diagnosis, and smoking status.

RESULTS: The overall survival and disease-specific survival rates at 5 years were 42% and 50%, respectively. The recurrence-free survival and metastasis-free survival rates at 5 years were 51% and 56%, respectively. The overall survival rate was 83% for superficial disease versus 36% for invasive tumors. The overall survival rate was 26% for tumors of the bulbar urethra versus 69% for tumors of the anterior urethra.

CONCLUSIONS: Current modalities of treatment are ineffective for local control and survival. New treatment strategies are needed for urethral cancer.