Bladder-sparing approaches to invasive disease.
Although immediate radical cystectomy remains the standard of care for invasive bladder cancer, a large body of international experience from single institutions and cooperative groups has accumulated, suggesting favorable results with bladder-sparing approaches in appropriately selected patients. Modern selective bladder preservation with trimodality therapy, consisting of transurethral resection of the bladder tumor, radiation, and chemotherapy, can achieve complete response rates of 60-80%, 5-year survival rates of 50-60%, and survival rates with an intact bladder of 40-45%. Although no randomized comparisons between cystectomy and trimodality therapy exist, long-term data confirm that the 10-year overall and disease-specific survival rates for patients in bladder-sparing protocols are comparable to outcomes reported in contemporary cystectomy series. In addition, quality of life studies have demonstrated that the retained native bladder functions well. Thus, trimodality therapy with careful cystoscopic surveillance and with prompt cystectomy for invasive recurrences has emerged as a legitimate alternative to extirpative surgery. Future work will continue to optimize the bladder-sparing regimen while limiting toxicity.
Efstathiou
Jason A
JA
Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 100 Blossom Street, Cox 3, Boston, MA 02114, USA. jefstathiou@partners.org
Zietman
Anthony L
AL
Kaufman
Donald S
DS
Heney
Niall M
NM
Coen
John J
JJ
Shipley
William U
WU
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015653:Cystectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011878:Radiotherapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000601:surgery*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents