Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma is a cancer that occurs within the ureters and renal pelvises. It is the presence of tumors of the urothelium, which is the tissue that lines the inside of the urinary tract. It is a rare cancer affecting 6000-8000 new patients every year in the United States and represents about 5-10% of all urothelial malignancies. Patients with cancer of the upper urinary tract have a 30% to 50% chance of developing cancer of the bladder.

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Management of this disease is challenging as the anatomy of the upper urinary tract means that kidney sparing procedures are difficult in the majority of cases and treatment options are limited. As a result, radical therapy with removal of the kidney is used not only for high-grade UTUC but also most cases of low-grade UTUC. There is a significant unmet medical need for minimally invasive, kidney sparing targeted therapy for which Padeliporfin VTP therapy may provide an effective solution.