Advanced Female Primary Urethral Carcinoma with Nodal Extension Managed with Exclusive Use of Chemoradiotherapy: Report of a Case and Review of the Relevant Current Literature

Abstract

Primary urethral carcinoma (PUC) is a rare disease with frequent nodal metastasis at the time of diagnosis. Few risk factors have been established and overall prognosis remains poor. As of now, no clear therapeutic guidelines are established and management of advanced PUC often involves surgery which can have negative functional and psychological outcomes for the patient. Few authors have already reported the use of chemoradiotherapy alone to avoid surgery with some good short-term results. We report the case of a 48-year-old woman with advanced high-grade urothelial carcinoma of distal urethra associated to bilateral inguinal nodal metastasis. She was similarly and successfully treated using chemoradiotherapy exclusively without significant adverse effects. This experience reinforces benefits of a surgery-sparing management, when possible, as recommended in current guidelines.