title: Review of the M.D. Anderson experience in the treatment of bladder sarcoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the histologic subtypes, clinical presentations, treatment approaches, and treatment-related outcomes of patients with bladder sarcoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 1985 and July 2004, 19 patients (12 men and 7 women) with primary bladder sarcoma were evaluated at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Median follow-up duration was 72 months (range 3-141).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of patients at presentation was 57 years (range 22-94). The histologic subtypes of bladder sarcoma were leiomyosarcoma (N = 14), angiosarcoma (N = 3), and unclassified sarcoma (N = 2). The clinical presentation consisted of gross, painless hematuria in 79% of patients, lower urinary tract symptoms in 16%, and microhematuria in 5%. The primary treatment modalities used were surgery in 16 (84%) patients, chemotherapy in 2 (11%), and palliation in 1 (5%). The rate of local and distal recurrence was 16% and 53%, respectively. The most common sites of distant metastases were the lungs, bone, brain, and liver. The 5-year disease-specific survival rate was 59%, with a median survival duration of 6 years. There was no statistically significant difference in disease-specific survival between patients with bladder leiomyosarcoma compared to other sarcoma subtypes (P = 0.149). Lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.03) and lymphatic metastasis (P = 0.03) were associated with disease-specific survival, and surgical margin status was associated with recurrence-free (P = 0.04), disease-specific (P = 0.03), and overall survival (P = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bladder sarcoma is a highly aggressive malignancy, regardless of its histologic subtype. Surgical margin status is an important determinant of survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030-4095, USA.
authors.forename: Philippe E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Spiess
authors.forename: Wassim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kassouf
authors.forename: Jordan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tuziak
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Rita F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Tibbs
authors.forename: Bogdan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Czerniak
authors.forename: Ashish M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kamat
authors.forename: Colin P N
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Dinney
authors.forename: H Barton
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Grossman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*