Invasive bladder cancer ; Bladder preservation ; Combined chemoradiotherapy ; Transurethral resection of bladder
Abstract
Purpose: To determine the long-term results of bladder-preserving approach by transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB), systemic chemotherapy, and radiation therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Methods and materials: From 1991 Jan. through 1994 Dec., 25 patients with muscle invading clinical stage T2 to T4NxM0 bladder cancer were treated with induction by maximal TURB and (arm 1, n=4) three cycles of chemotherapy [MVAC(methotrexate, vincristine, adriamycin, ciplatin)] followed by 64.8 Gy of radiation with concomitant cisplatin, or two cycles of chemotherapy [MCV (methotrexate, ciplatin, vincristine)] after irradiation with concomitant cisplatin (arm 2, n=14), or concurrent chemoradiation only (arm 3, n=7). Tumor response was scored as a clinical complete response (CR) when the cystoscopic tumor-site biopsy and urine cytology results were negative. Those with less than a CR underwent cystectomy. The median follow-up of all patients was 70 months. Results: Most treatment toxicities were mild to moderate. Grade 3 acute hematologic toxicity and chronic cystitis were observed in only 1 and 2 patients, respectively. Overall 5 year survival was 67.3%. Complete remission rate was 80% (20/25). Sixty-three percent of all survivors retained their bladders. In multivariate analysis, prognostic factors that significantly affect survival were T-stage (p=0.013) and Complete remission (p=0.002). Conclusion: Combined modality therapy with TURB, chemotherapy, and radiation has a 67.3% overall 5 year survival rate. This results is similar to cystectomy-based studies for patients of similar clinical stages. Sixty-three percent of long term survivors preserved their bladders.