Urachal Carcinoma: Are Lymphadenectomy and Umbilectomy Necessary?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to explore the impact of lymphadenectomy and umbilectomy on long-term survival and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with urachal carcinoma. MATERIAL/METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 39 patients with urachal carcinoma. Clinicopathologic outcomes were evaluated, and overall survival (OS) and PFS were assessed by Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-four (87.2%) patients underwent partial cystectomy, and 3 (7.7%) patients underwent radical cystectomy with en bloc urachal resection. Eighteen (46.2%) patients underwent lymphadenectomy and 27 (69.2%) patients had umbilectomy. Multivariate analysis showed that tumor size (P=0.011), Mayo stage (P=0.012), and umbilectomy (P=0.007) were the independent prognostic factors for OS. The median overall survival time was 67 months. The differentiation degree of tumor (P=0.049), Mayo stage (P=0.004), and umbilectomy (P=0.046) were the independent prognostic factors for PFS. Lymph node resection was not a predictor of OS. Patients had poorer prognosis when the tumor invaded the entire wall, including the mucous layer, muscular layer, and serous layer of the bladder compared with those that invaded only the muscular layer (P=0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Lymph node metastases and failure to undergo umbilectomy were the independent prognostic factors for OS and PFS. Lymph node resection was not a predictor of OS. Patients had poorer prognosis when the tumor invaded the entire wall of the bladder compared with those that invaded the muscular layer.