Prognosis

The prognosis for a transitional cell cancer of the upper urinary tract depends on how aggressive the cancer is and in particular whether it has spread to the lymph nodes or other organs.

If the tumour is non-aggressive, has not spread much locally and has not spread to other parts of the body, 89–90% of patients will live for a further five years or more. If the tumour has grown through the bladder wall but has not spread to other parts of the body, this figure falls to around 15–30%, and if it has spread to other parts of the body to less than 10%.

The prognosis is therefore heavily dependent on how early the cancer is found.