Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma | Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network

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06/16/23

Most bladder cancers (approximately 90-95%) occur in the bladder itself. However, the urothelial cells that line the bladder are also found in other locations in the urinary system. Urothelial carcinoma is a cancer that can occur in those cells.

The kidneys and ureters make up the upper part of the urinary tract. Those parts of the urinary tract also have urothelial cells. Approximately 5-7 % of urothelial cancer can occur in the upper lining of the kidney, called the calyx and renal pelvis. It could also occur in one or both of the ureter(s), a tubes that leads from each of your kidneys to the bladder. Cancer in the renal pelvis or ureter(s) is called Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma, or UTUC.