Urethral cancer: errors in diagnosis and treatment

Introduction. Urethral cancer is a rare disease that often occurs under the mask of cystitis and urethritis, which can lead to late diagnosis, progression and poor prognosis. Purpose of the study. On the example of a clinical case, to demonstrate the difficulties of diagnosing urethral cancer in women in clinical practice. Materials and methods. The article describes a case of urethral cancer in a 68-year-old woman with complaints of dysuria and difficulty urinating, who was followed up for 3 years with a diagnosis of cystitis, confirmed by cystoscopy. Transvaginal ultrasound examination of the bladder determined the formation of the urethra 29x23x26 mm. A clinical diagnosis was established: «Urotelial papillary-tubular carcinoma of the urethra T1N0M0G3. Chronic urinary retention». Results. The patient underwent electroresection of the tumor and a course of remote radiation therapy with a total focal dose (RRT) of 50 Gy for 45 days. Histopathological conclusion: adenocarcinoma of the urethral mucosa; tumor within the mucosal and submucosal layers. A two-year disease-free survival was noted. Surveillance continues. Conclusions. The early diagnosis and identification of urethral cancer contributes to a better prognosis and survival rate among the patients with this disease.