Radiotherapy alone or radiochemotherapy with platin derivatives following transurethral resection of the bladder. Organ preservation and survival after treatment of bladder cancer.

PURPOSE

Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors influencing survival and bladder preservation after radiochemotherapy for bladder cancer following transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

At the University Hospital of Erlangen 333 patients with bladder cancer were treated with either radiotherapy alone (RT, n = 128) or platin based radiochemotherapy (RCT, n = 205) after TURB between 5/1982 and 5/1996. Two-hundred and eighty-two curative patients, with either muscle invasive or T1-high risk cancer, were analyzed. Median age was 66 years, median follow-up is 7.5 years. Uni- and multivariate analysis was performed for age, grade, R-status after initial TURB, T-category and treatment modality relevant to the endpoints initial response, survival and bladder preservation.

RESULTS

Treatment related mortality was below 1%. Complete remissions were achieved at 57%, 70%, and 85% after RT or RCT with carboplatin or cisplatin. This difference was multivariately significant. Further significant prognostic factors were pT-category and R-status. For all patients survival was 59% and 43% after 5 and 10 years. 79% of survivors could keep their own bladder. Five-year survival rates after RT alone, RCT with carboplatin or cisplatin were 47%, 57%, and 69%, respectively. This was univariately significant. The only multivariately significant factor for survival and bladder preservation was the R-status after initial TURB.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment of bladder cancer by TURB and RT/RCT is an alternative to primary cystectomy. The addition of chemotherapy leads to significantly more complete remissions and better survival. Initial TURB is recommended to be as radical as possible.