Impact of nephron sparing surgery on survival in upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma patients stratified by tumor characteristics

Abstract Background: We aimed to evaluate the impact of nephron sparing surgery (NSS) on survival in upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) patients stratified by tumor grade and stage compared to radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) or no surgery. Methods: Overall, 10319 UTUC patients between 2004 and 2015 were extracted from the SEER database. Patients were divided into no surgery group, NSS group and RNU group. Kaplan-Meier plots illustrated survival rates according to surgical method. Multivariable Cox regression analyses assessed the effect of different surgical methods on survival rates. Result: Among the 10319 UTUC patients. Kaplan-Meier plots showed that NSS was associated with a higher overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in grade Ⅲ and Ⅳ and AJCC stage Ⅳ patients (all p 0.05). Moreover, NSS predisposed to a higher OS only in AJCC stage Ⅳ ( p <0.05). Conclusion: The beneficial effect of NSS was evident in grade Ⅲ or AJCC stage Ⅳ. NSS can be considered in grade Ⅲ or stage Ⅳ, for other grades or stages remains to be seen, both of which will be verified by further prospective research.