ABSTRACT
Tumors of the urethra can be either primary or secondary metastatic lesions. The submucosa of the urethra contains numerous glands. These structural features allow development of various histologic types of urethral cancer in males, such as transitional cell carcinoma (especially in the prostatic urethra), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), or adenocarcinoma. Patients with urethral cancer may display lower urinary tract symptoms (bladder outlet obstruction or retention of urine), visible hematuria or nonvisible hematuria, a lump in the urethra, retention of urine, pelvic pain, urethrocutaneous fistula, periurethral abscess formation, dyspareunia, bloody urethral discharge, extraurethral mass, and regional lymph node enlargement. Patients suspected of urethral cancer should undergo examination of the abdomen and inguinal and femoral regions for evidence of lymphadenopathy, and examination with palpation of external genitalia for evidence of suspicious indurations, and in women, a thorough pelvic examination is undertaken. Multimodality treatment consisting of chemotherapy, external beam radiotherapy, and surgical resection may be used for late-stage distal urethral tumors.
