The place of multiple primary cancers in urologic oncology

Background. In Russia, statistical record of multiple primary cancers has been implemented only recently, and there are few scientific publications. Multiple primary malignant neoplasms of the urologic locations are described even less in literature. The problem of multiple tumors becomes more pressing with each passing year.Aim. To perform retrospective study of statistical data on urologic multiple primary cancer from one department.Materials and methods. An analysis of retrospective data from medical histories of patients who received treatment between 1997 and 2020 in urologic oncology departments where the authors worked: Omsk Regional Oncological Dispensary (1997–2005), Moscow Oncology Clinical Hospital No. 1 (2003–2005), Moscow City Oncology Hospital No. 62 was performed.Results. During the analyzed period, 23,299 hospitalizations including repeated were registered for 19,040 patients. Year-by-year data analysis showed 1,817 patients with multiple tumors, among them 1,508 patients with multiple primary malignant tumors, one and/or more of which were urologic pathology. The most common diseases were bladder cancer (n = 631), renal cancer (n = 618), prostate cancer (n = 614). A significant number of patients (n = 125; 8.29 %) had multiple tumors in 3 or more urologic locations. Tumors of the upper urinary tract were observed in 78 patients, testicle – in 36, penis – in 22, adrenal gland – in 10, urethra – in 4. Women comprised 28.05 % (n = 423) of the patients, men – almost 72 % (n = 1,085). This patient distribution by sex reflects the fact that urologic oncology includes both tumors of the urinary tract and male sex organs.Conclusion. Currently, the questions of terminology of multiple primary tumors remain open: multiple primary, multilocular, bilateral tumors, and mixed tumors. There is a lack of understanding in definition of the border between implantation metastases and multiple primary tumors in upper tract urothelial carcinoma and bladder cancer, between metastatic or bilateral tumors in bilateral renal cell carcinoma of the same morphology, etc.