Pelvic Cancer Prognosis & Treatment: Understanding Your Outlook

Pelvic cancer may develop in a kidney or a ureter. The prognosis for this form of cancer depends upon the location and spread of the tumor. Cancer of the pelvis may be treated with surgery or chemotherapy.

Symptoms

• According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, patients with pelvic cancer may experience bloody urine, back pain and discomfort during urination. Patients should report symptoms to a doctor, because successful cancer treatment is more likely if a tumor is discovered early.

Diagnosis

• Doctors may perform a urine cytology test to find pelvic cancer cells, or they may use tests such as an abdominal computerized tomography scan, a kidney ultrasound or a magnetic resonance imaging test of the abdomen to locate a tumor.

Location

• Pelvic cancer that is confined to a kidney or ureter is usually curable with surgery.

Surgery

• A surgeon may treat cancer in a kidney by removing all or part of the affected kidney and portions of the bladder and surrounding tissues. A tumor in a ureter may be treated by surgically removing the ureter.

Spread

• Cancer that has spread beyond the kidneys and ureters is more difficult to cure, and this type of cancer may be treated with chemotherapy. The five-year survival rate for those with invasive ureter cancer is 25 percent. For those with invasive kidney cancer, the five-year survival rate is 5 to 15 percent.

General Prognosis

• Patients with pelvic cancer may develop kidney failure and increasing pain from the tumor. The five-year survival rate for patients with kidney cancer is 60 to 70 percent. Also, 60 percent of patients who develop ureter cancer will survive for five years or more.