TY - JOUR TI - Thulium-laser retrograde intra renal ablation of upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma: An ESUT Study AU - Bozzini, G. AU - Gastaldi, C. AU - Besana, U. AU - Calori, A. AU - Casellato, S. AU - Parma, P. AU - Store, A.P. AU - MacChi, A. AU - Breda, A. AU - Gozen, A. AU - Skolarikos, A. AU - Herrmann, T. AU - Scoffone, C. AU - Eissa, A. AU - Sighinolfi, M.C. AU - Rocco, B. AU - Buizza, C. AU - Liatsikos, E. JO - Minerva Urology and Nephrology PY - 2021 VL - 73 TODO - 1 SP - 114-121 PB - Edizioni Minerva Medica SN - null TODO - 10.23736/S2724-6051.20.03689-9 TODO - ablation therapy; adult; aged; Article; cancer grading; carcinoma in situ; computer assisted tomography; contrast-enhanced ultrasound; controlled study; cystoscopy; endoscopy; follow up; hematuria; histopathology; human; laser surgery; major clinical study; nephroureterectomy; observational study; retrospective study; transitional cell carcinoma; transurethral resection; tumor volume; urine cytology; biopsy; clinical trial; conservative treatment; female; low level laser therapy; male; middle aged; multicenter study; procedures; solid state laser; transitional cell carcinoma; treatment outcome; ureteroscopy; urinary tract tumor; urologic surgery; very elderly, thulium, Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biopsy; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell; Conservative Treatment; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Laser Therapy; Lasers, Solid-State; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Thulium; Treatment Outcome; Ureteroscopy; Urologic Neoplasms; Urologic Surgical Procedures TODO - BACKGROUND: Radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) is the gold standard treatment for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC); however, patients presenting with small low-grade UTUC have been treated by flexible ureteroscopic laser ablation with good outcomes. Different types of laser have been discussed in the literature including Holmium and Neodymium lasers. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of Thulium laser (Tm:YAG) in the ureteroscopic ablation of UTUC. METHODS: A retrospective observational multicentre study of patients diagnosed with papillary UTUC between January 2015 and December 2016 was carried out. All patients underwent ureteroscopic biopsy of the UTUC followed by Tm:YAG ablation. Based on the histopathological grade of the tumor, patients were counseled to undergo either RNU (high-grade tumors) or conservative management and follow-up (low-grade tumor). RESULTS: RNU was performed in 31 patients, while the remaining 47 patients (undergone Tm:YAG ablation only) were followed up for a mean of 11.7 months with only 19.2% of patients showing upper tract recurrence and no patients showed postoperative ureteral strictures. Limitations include the short follow-up and retrospective nature of the study. CONCLUSIONS: On the short term, thulium Laser ablation of UTUC is safe and feasible especially in low-grade UTUC. © 2021 Minerva Urology and Nephrology. All rights reserved. ER -