Efficacy and survival associated with cystoscopy and clot evacuation for radiation or cyclophosphamide induced hemorrhagic cystitis.

PURPOSE

We assessed the outcome of patients with hemorrhagic cystitis severe enough to require cystoscopy and clot evacuation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated the records of 33 patients with cyclophosphamide or radiation induced hemorrhagic cystitis treated with cystoscopy.

RESULTS

Mean followup of living patients was 76 months. Of 33 patients 20 (61%) had resolution of hematuria after single cystoscopy unrelated to hemorrhagic cystitis etiology. Only 4 of 11 patients (36%) had resolution after 2 or more cystoscopies, and all were in the radiation induced hemorrhagic cystitis group (4 of 6, 67%) with none in the cyclophosphamide induced hemorrhagic cystitis group (0 of 5, p = 0.02). Hematuria was refractory to cystoscopy in 9 patients and ileal conduits were created in 4. Kaplan-Meier overall survival at 1, 2 and 5 years was 58%, 51% and 43%, respectively, with survival tending to be worse in patients who received cyclophosphamide for bone marrow transplantation induction. Of the 18 deaths 3 were due to complications of hemorrhagic cystitis, 13 were due to the disease underlying the hemorrhagic cystitis and 2 were unrelated.

CONCLUSIONS

The response of hemorrhagic cystitis to single cystoscopy and clot evacuation is reasonable but response to subsequent cystoscopy (unless the hemorrhagic cystitis is radiation induced) is less likely, so alternate interventions should be considered if hematuria does not resolve after initial cystoscopy. Patients with hemorrhagic cystitis requiring cystoscopy have a poor prognosis even if hematuria resolves, although most deaths are related to the disease underlying the hemorrhagic cystitis rather than its direct result.