[Conservative treatment of locally advanced bladder carcinoma: neoadjuvant chemotherapy, TUR and radiotherapy. Results in 40 patients].
OBJECTIVE
to assess the results of bladder preservation in infiltrating bladder cancer. The potential for neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by extensive TUR and radiotherapy was investigated in 40 patients with T2-T4a G2-G3 bladder carcinoma.


METHODS
from 1983 to 1995, 40 patients were submitted to bladder-sparing treatment consisting of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, extensive, TUR and radiotherapy. Most patients had T3G3 cancer. Cystectomy was not performed due to patient" choice in 29 cases (72.5%), for severe pulmonary or cardiovascular disease in disease in 9 patients (22.5) and age over 80 in 2 (5%) patients. A deep TUR-biopsy was performed before and after chemotherapy and an extensive TUR was repeated at the end of radiotherapy. In the first 30 patients chemotherapy consisted of 2-4 cycles of 70 mg/m2 cisplatin on fay 1, and 40 mg/m2 methotrexate on days 8 and 15. In the last 10 patients chemotherapy consisted of 3 cycles of CMV (100 mg/m2 cisplatin on day 2, 30 mg/m2 of vinblastine on days 1 and 8). Total dose of radiotherapy was 60-65 Gy. Recurrent superficial tumors were treated transurethrally. Radical cystectomy, when feasible, was considered for persistent or recurrent invasive disease.


RESULTS
after chemotherapy, a clinical objective response was obtained in 27 patients (67.5%), 19 (47.5%) of whom showed a complete response. Thirteen (32.5%) patients showed no response and 5 (12.5%) progressed during chemotherapy. After extensive TUR of any residual mass and radiotherapy, a complete response was achieved in 6 patients who initially showed a partial response and in other 2 patients and stable disease after chemotherapy. Altogether, 27 patients (67.5%) presented had local recurrences, 3 patients underwent cystectomy. Fourteen patients (35%) are alive and 13 NED (65 months mean survival). Five patients died of unrelated disease. Twenty-one patients (52.5%) died of distant metastases (mean survival 28 months). Four patients presented distant metastases after vesical infiltrating recurrence and 4 patients had distant metastases in the absence of loco-regional recurrence. Twenty-two patients (55%) maintained an intact bladder. Patients with complete response to chemotherapy showed a low risk for developing recurrent infiltrating tumors and metastases.


CONCLUSIONS
A complete tumor was maintained at 5 years in over 50% of the patients conservatively treated. Bladder salvage is feasible in selected patients.
Divisione di Urologia, Ospedale Civico di Palermo.
V
V
Serretta
P
P
Vasile
V
V
Falletta
F
F
Piazza
C
C
Pavone
M
M
Pavone-Macaluso
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015653:Cystectomy; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D011300:Preoperative Care; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012074:Remission Induction; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage
D014747:Vinblastine; D002945:Cisplatin; D008727:Methotrexate