Outcome of treatment of bladder cancer: a comparison between low-volume hospitals and an oncology centre.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of volume of cystectomies in the Greater Amsterdam region on postoperative outcomes.


METHODS
All primary bladder tumours diagnosed between 1989 and 2003 were selected from the Amsterdam Cancer Registry, a population-based cancer registry (population 3.0 million). For all patients who underwent cystectomy during 1989-2003 at 20 participating hospitals, medical records were reviewed for information on postoperative mortality, locoregional recurrences and relative risk of death. To assess the effect of volume, outcomes at an oncology centre and low-volume hospitals were compared.


RESULTS
During 1989-2003 a total of 1,185 cystectomies were performed in 20 hospitals of the Greater Amsterdam region. Postoperative mortality was 3.2%. During 1989-1997, 8% of cystectomies were performed at the oncology centre, increasing to 30% in 1998-2003. Although postoperative mortality at this centre decreased from 4.0% in 1989-1997 to 1.1% in 1998-2003, the latter percentage was not statistically significantly different from the other hospitals during 1998-2003 (OR 0.3; P = 0.09). No statistically significant difference in locoregional recurrence rate and in the relative risk of death was observed between the oncology centre and all other hospitals combined.


CONCLUSIONS
We observed a lower postoperative mortality rate in the oncology centre compared to the low-volume hospitals; however, this difference did not reach statistical significance. We could neither prove a statistically significant relation between hospital volume, local recurrence rate and survival after cystectomy. To answer the question if centralisation of cystectomies is beneficial more procedures have to be compared.
de Vries
R R
RR
Department of Urology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute/Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Visser
O
O
Nieuwenhuijzen
J A
JA
Horenblas
S
S
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D015653:Cystectomy / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery