Bladder cancer: Long-term follow-up results of patients treated with radical radiation

Abstract

Carcinoma of the bladder is commonly treated for cure with external beam radiation. Whilst short-term results are associated with a good chance of disease control there is little information about the long-term results of such therapy. We present a retrospective review of the Princess Margaret Hospital experience in treating transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and emphasis on the long-term follow-up of patients treated with radiotherapy (XRT). Between 1972 and 1980, 355 patients were treated with a radical course of external beam radiation. The overall survival was 20% at 10 years and the cause-specific survival was 32%. Radiation treatment resulted in a long-term bladder preservation in at least 25% of patients. The majority of long-term survivors without evidence of relapse were patients with T 1 (solitary tumours), T 2 and T 3a tumours. This subgroup represents patients with disease favourable for treatment with radiation. Factors affecting response to the XRT and survival included T stage and tumour bulk. Radiation complications were frequent and were usually associated with local disease recurrence.