Surgery is the most common treatment of transitional cell cancer of the renal pelvis and ureter. The kidney, ureter, and top part of the bladder may be removed in an operation called a nephroureterectomy. Segmental resection removes only part of the ureter or kidney. Electrosurgery uses an electric current to remove the cancer. The tumor and the area around it are burned away and then removed with a sharp tool.
Laser therapy uses a narrow beam of intense light to remove cancer cells.
Electrosurgery and laser therapy are used only for cancers that are on the surface of the renal pelvis or ureter. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the body. Biological therapy tries to get your own body to fight cancer.