Risk stratification of upper tract urothelial carcinoma: A Review of the Current Literature.

Overview

Introduction: Several prognostic factors have been identified to risk stratify patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). However, due to the heterogeneity of these prognosticators and the presence of different therapeutic modalities for this rare and heterogeneous disease, decision-making and patient consulting remains challenging. Areas covered: A literature search using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library was conducted in January 2019 to find relevant English-language studies identifying prognostic factors that can help risk stratify patients and select proper therapeutic modality. Expert opinion: Several studies confirmed the value of patient and tumor-related factors for prognosticating oncological outcomes in UTUC patients. However, due to the retrospective nature of these studies, the true clinical impact needs to be assessed in well-designed prospective-controlled studies to increase the accuracy and fortify the evidence-driven clinical decision-making process. More biomarkers studies for stratifying risks of UTUC patients are needed to capture their biologic and clinical potentials of each individual tumor.