Surgery for metastatic urothelial carcinoma with curative intent: the German experience (AUO AB 30/05).
BACKGROUND
Recent publications suggest a benefit from surgical removal of urothelial carcinoma metastases (UCM) for a subgroup of patients.


OBJECTIVE
We report the combined experience and outcome of patients undergoing resection of UCM gained at 15 uro-oncologic centers in Germany.


METHODS
Retrospective survey of 44 patients with distant UCM of the bladder or upper urinary tract who underwent complete resection of all detectable metastases in 15 different German uro-oncological centers between 1991 and 2008.


METHODS
Resected metastatic sites were the following: retroperitoneal lymph nodes (56.8%), distant lymph nodes (11.3%), lung (18.2%), bone (4.5%), adrenal gland (2.3%), brain (2.3%), small intestine (2.3%), and skin (2.3%). Systemic chemotherapy was administered in 35 of 44 patients (79.5%) before and/or after UCM surgery.


METHODS
Overall, cancer-specific and progression-free survival from time of diagnosis and metastasectomy of UCM.


CONCLUSIONS
Median survival from initial diagnosis of UCM and subsequent resection was as follows: overall survival, 35 mo and 27 mo; cancer-specific survival, 38 mo and 34 mo; and progression-free survival, 19 mo and 15 mo. Overall 5-yr survival from metastasectomy for the entire cohort was 28%. Seventeen patients were still alive without progression at a median follow-up of 8 mo. Seven patients without disease progression survived for >2 yr and remained free from tumor progression at a median follow-up of 63 mo. No significant prognostic factors could be determined due to the limited patient number.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term cancer control and possible cure can be achieved in a subgroup of patients following surgical removal of UCM. Metastasectomy in patients with disseminated UCM remains investigational and should only be offered to those with limited disease as a combined-modality approach with systemic chemotherapy.
Lehmann
Jan
J
Department of Urology, Städtisches Krankenhaus Kiel, Kiel, Germany. lehmannkiel@arcor.de
Suttmann
Henrik
H
Albers
Peter
P
Volkmer
Björn
B
Gschwend
Jürgen E
JE
Fechner
Guido
G
Spahn
Martin
M
Heidenreich
Axel
A
Odenthal
Axel
A
Seif
Christoph
C
Nürnberg
Nils
N
Wülfing
Christian
C
Greb
Christoph
C
Kälble
Tilmann
T
Grimm
Marc-Oliver
MO
Fieseler
Claus Friedrich
CF
Krege
Susanne
S
Retz
Margitta
M
Schulte-Baukloh
Heiner
H
Gerber
Martin
M
Hack
Markus
M
Kamradt
Jörn
J
Stöckle
Michael
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014571:Urologic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*