title: A fourteen-year review of radical cystectomy for transitional cell carcinoma demonstrating the usefulness of the concept of lymph node density.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We studied the long-term outcome of radical cystectomy for transitional cell carcinoma and evaluated prognostic factors for disease specific survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was carried out for all cystectomies performed for transitional cell carcinoma between 1989 and 2002. Disease specific survival was correlated to patient, pathological and operative factors as well as to adjuvant therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 133 cystectomies included, 100 were male and 33 were female patients. The median age was 69 years (range 43 to 86). The median follow up was 20 months (range 0 to 158). With univariate analysis, pT stage, N stage, lymph node density, carcinoma in-situ, surgical margin and post-operative radiotherapy to distant metastasis were predictive of disease specific survival. On the other hand, with multivariate analysis, only pT stage, lymph node density and post-operative radiotherapy to distant metastasis were predictive of disease specific survival. Within the group of node positive disease, lymph node density also predicted disease specific survival with both univariate and multivariate analyses. Patients with lymph node density 20% or below showed better disease specific survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  pT stage and lymph node density were found to be the most important predictive factors for disease specific survival after cystectomy in the Asian population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Department of Clinical Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, China. drmcheng@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Chi W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Chi F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Chi K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Wai S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Pun E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Yim F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015653:Cystectomy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*