Late uro-ileal cancer after incorporation of ileum into the urinary tract

Purpose: Development of late uro-intestinal malignancy after bowel incorporation into the urinary tract is a constant long-term hazard, even in the absence of fecal material. We report 6 such cases. Materials and Methods: A total of 350 patients treated with an ileal conduit, 260 with ileal replacement of the ureter and 55 with ileocystoplasty were evaluated and followed for a minimum of 4 years. The methods of evaluation included urine analysis for microscopic hematuria, urine culture, serum creatinine and abdominal ultrasonography. These evaluations were performed every 2 months after cystectomy for bladder cancer and every 6 months in other cases. Annual urinary cytology and excretory urography were done. Computerized tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging was performed annually after radical cystectomy or if there was evidence of hematuria, ureteral obstruction or a filling defect in the bladder, pouch or conduit on excretory urography. Endoscopic evaluation was done in some cases. If malignancy was diagnosed chest x-ray and bone scintigraphy were performed. Results: A total of 645 patients were evaluable. Of these patients late cancer developed at the uro-intestinal anastomotic site in 6 (0.9%), including 1 of 348 (0.3%) who underwent ileal conduit, 3 of 54 (5.5%) ileocystoplasty and 2 of 258 (0.8%) ileal replacement of ureter. The latent period "from the time of original surgery till the development of cancer" ranged from 4 to 32 years (mean plus or minus standard deviation 20.2 +/- 10.9). The pathological type of cancer was adenocarcinoma in 3 patients, transitional cell carcinoma 2 and squamous cell carcinoma 1. Conclusions: Late uro-intestinal malignancy in patients who underwent ileal incorporation in the urinary tract is a low but still distinct risk. Ileocystoplasty is more vulnerable to late uro-enteric cancer than ileal conduit and ileal replacement of ureter. Late malignancy can develop earlier than 10 years postoperatively. Therefore, annual surveillance by routine urine cytology postoperatively is advocated, particularly with enterocystoplasty.