Transitional cell carcinoma Information & Transitional cell carcinoma Links at HealthHaven.com

Transitional cell carcinoma
	Classification and external resources
	; Histopathology of urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder. Transurethral biopsy. H&E stain.
ICD-O:	M8120/3-8130
eMedicine	med/2003 radio/711
MeSH	D002295

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC, also urothelial cell carcinoma or UCC) is a type of cancer that typically occurs in the urinary system: the kidney, urinary bladder, and accessory organs. It is the most common type of bladder cancer and cancer of the ureter, urethra, and urachus; it is the second most common type of kidney cancer.

TCC arises from the transitional epithelium, a tissue lining the inner surface of these hollow organs.^[1]

When the term "urothelial" is used, it specifically refers to a carcinoma of the urothelium, meaning a TCC of the urinary system.

[edit] Signs and symptoms

Signs and symptoms depend on the location and extent of the cancer: see for example Bladder cancer.

[edit] Causes

Certain drugs such as cyclophosphamide and phenacetin are known to predispose to bladder TCC.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Pathology

TCCs are often multifocal, with 30-40% of patients having more than one tumour at diagnosis. The pattern of growth of TCCs can be papillary, sessile (flat) or carcinoma-in-situ (CIS).

The most common site of TCC metastasis outside the pelvis is bone (35%); of these bone metastases, 40% are in the spine.^[2]

[edit] Terminology

Transitional refers to the histological subtype of the cancerous cells as seen under a microscope.

[edit] Classification

The 1973 WHO grading system for TCCs (papilloma, G1, G2 or G3) is most commonly used despite being superseded by the 2004 WHO ^[3] grading (papillary neoplasm of low malignant potential (PNLMP), low grade and high grade papillary carcinoma.