Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41822654›Full record

ReviewCureus2026

Kidney-Sparing Approaches in Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer: A Narrative Review.

Charalampos Kefalas, Nikolaos Datseris, Konstantinos Sitaridis, Evangelos Mourtzilas, Apostolos Papalakis

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Charalampos KefalasUrology Department, General Hospital of Thessaloniki 'O Agios Dimitrios', Thessaloniki, GRC.
Nikolaos DatserisUrology Department, General Hospital of Thessaloniki 'O Agios Dimitrios', Thessaloniki, GRC.
Konstantinos SitaridisUrology Department, General Hospital of Thessaloniki 'O Agios Dimitrios', Thessaloniki, GRC.
Evangelos MourtzilasUrology Department, General Hospital of Thessaloniki 'O Agios Dimitrios', Thessaloniki, GRC.
Apostolos PapalakisUrology Department, General Hospital of Thessaloniki 'O Agios Dimitrios', Thessaloniki, GRC.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a relatively rare neoplasm. Historically, radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) has been the gold-standard treatment; however, its association with postoperative renal dysfunction and reduced quality of life has driven a paradigm shift toward kidney-sparing surgery (KSS). This literature review synthesises late evidence regarding nephron-sparing techniques for UTUC, such as endoscopic ablation, segmental and total ureterectomy and novel minimal invasive modalities. Clinical, radiologic, and molecular parameters are examined in order to refine risk stratification, which is crucial for selecting appropriate patients who may benefit from KSS. Even though endoscopic ablation is associated with higher local recurrence rates, it demonstrates comparable cancer-specific and overall survival to RNU in low-risk UTUC and selected high-risk patients. Segmental and total ureterectomy, if technically feasible, accomplish similar oncologic outcomes with RNU and are superior regarding renal function preservation. Novel kidney-sparing therapies such as intraluminal chemoablation with UGN-101 and vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy show encouraging efficacy and safety in early trials. Perioperative chemotherapy and immunotherapy may expand the indication for kidney-sparing approaches in the near future, combined with emerging biomarker-driven models such as the aristolochic acid (AA) mutational signature. Despite these advances, long-term oncologic outcomes, optimal adjuvant regimens, and molecularly guided treatment algorithms remain incompletely defined. In order to verify oncologic efficacy, systematise follow-up protocols, and establish personalized therapeutic pathways guided by molecular patterns, future multicenter prospective studies are essential.

Indexed as

endoscopic ablationkidney-sparing surgerynephron-sparing managementnephroureterectomyphotodynamic therapyrenal function preservationrisk stratificationugn-101upper tract urothelial carcinomaureterectomy

Identifiers

PMID41822654
PMCPMC12978820

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.