Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 May-Jun;51(3):e20240665.
doi: 10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2024.0665.

Urachal Carcinomas: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Caio Vinícius Suartz  1   2 , Lucas Motta Martinez  3 , Marcelo Henrique Lima Silvestre  3 , Richard Dobrucki Lima  3 , Pedro Henrique Souza Brito  3 , Ketlyn Assunção Galhardo  3 , Roberto Iglesias Lopes  3 , Victor Hondo Silva Moraes  3 , Caio Mazzonetto Teofilo Moraes  3 , Luana Covatti  3 , Maria Fernanda Dias Azevedo  4 , Lucas Schenk Almeida  3 , Debora Narumi Demitrol Setoue  3 , Natália Doratioto Serrano Faria Braz  3 , José Bessa Júnior  5 , Fernando Korkes  6 , Leonardo O Reis  7   8 , Kátia Ramos Moreira Leite  3 , William Carlos Nahas  3 , Paul Toren  2 , Leopoldo Alves Ribeiro-Filho  3
Affiliations
Review

Urachal Carcinomas: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Caio Vinícius Suartz et al. Int Braz J Urol. 2025 May-Jun.

Abstract

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to consolidate current evidence on the diagnosis, epidemiology, and treatment of urachal carcinoma, a rare malignancy with limited data.

Materials and methods: A systematic search of PubMed/MEDLINE was conducted up to September 2024 to identify studies involving patients with urachal carcinoma, reporting clinical epidemiological characteristics, diagnostic strategies, histopathological findings, tumor staging, treatment modalities, and oncological outcomes. Extracted data were systematically synthesized, and statistical analyses, including a single-arm meta-analysis, were performed to comprehensively evaluate oncological outcomes.

Results: Our study includes 1,901 cases of urachal carcinoma from 50 studies. The findings support the oncologic advantage of en-bloc resection with umbilectomy in localized disease, demonstrating improved survival outcomes and reduced recurrence rates. In the adjuvant setting, those receiving cisplatin-based therapy presented the best response, with 65.73% with no disease progression; similarly, in the metastatic disease, cisplatin-based regimens seem to have better responses in metastatic disease. The single-arm meta-analysis estimated a 5-year overall survival rate of 51% (95% CI: 0.49-0.54). Tumor recurrence was documented in 35% of cases (95% CI: 0.25-0.45), with local recurrence occurring in 28% (95% CI: 0.18-0.38), with the average time to recurrence of 27.6 months.

Conclusion: Our study provides the most comprehensive review of urachal carcinoma to date, providing evidence to guide clinical decisions. It underscores the oncologic benefits of en-bloc resection with umbilectomy and specific chemotherapeutic regimens. Emerging alternative therapies also show potential, highlighting the need for further research to optimize patient outcomes.

Keywords: Systematic Review [Publication Type]; UCystectomy; Urachal cancer [Supplementary Concept].

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. PRISMA flow chart of the selected articles.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Main sites of tumor recurrence in patients with urachal carcinoma following primary treatment.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Forest plot of oncological outcomes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Schubert GE, Pavkovic MB, Bethke-Bedürftig BA. Tubular urachal remnants in adult bladders. J Urol. 1982;127:40–42. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5347(17)53595-8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Begg RC. The Urachus: its Anatomy, Histology and Development. J Anat. 1930;64(Pt 2):170–183. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sheldon CA, Clayman RV, Gonzalez R, Williams RD, Fraley EE. Malignant urachal lesions. J Urol. 1984;131:1–8. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5347(17)50167-6. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Olah C, Kubik A, Mátrai P, Engh MA, Barna V, Hegyi P, et al. Estimation of the incidence of urachal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of registry-based studies. Urol Oncol. 2024;42:221.e1–221.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2024.03.011. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Shamseer L, Moher D, Clarke M, Ghersi D, Liberati A, Petticrew M, et al. Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015: elaboration and explanation. BMJ. 2015;350:g7647–g7647. doi: 10.1136/bmj.g7647. Erratum in: BMJ. 2016 Jul 21;354:i4086. doi: 10.1136/bmj.i4086. - DOI - PubMed

MeSH terms

Supplementary concepts