Effectiveness of transurethral resection (TUR) plus systemic chemotherapy as definitive treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

Abstract

481 Background: TUR + neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy achieves a pathologic complete response in 30-40% of patients with MIBC. Prior studies have demonstrated that long-term survival is possible for a subset of patients with MIBC treated with TUR plus chemotherapy alone, but such analyses have been limited by small sample sizes and poor generalizability. The objective of our study was to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients managed with this approach using a large national registry. Methods: Within the National Cancer Database (2004-2012), we identified 1,003 patients who were treated with TUR + multi-agent systemic chemotherapy, without radiation, as definitive treatment for cT2-T4aN0M0 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Baseline characteristics were compared relative to those of 12,138 patients treated during the same period of time with radical cystectomy ± perioperative chemotherapy. Treatment outcomes were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: Compared to patients who were treated with cystectomy ± perioperative chemotherapy, patients treated with TUR + chemotherapy alone were significantly older (≥75 years old 37% vs. 30%; p < 0.0001), had a higher clinical T stage (cT3: 14% vs. 12%; cT4: 12% vs 7%; p < 0.0001) and were more frequently treated in non-academic facilities (66% vs. 49%; p < 0.0001). There were no significant differences between groups regarding gender, Charlson comorbidity index, insurance type or income/education level. The 30-day and 90-day mortality with TUR + chemotherapy was 0.2% and 4%, respectively. The 5-year survival rate for all patients treated with TUR + chemotherapy was 30.5% (95% CI 26.8, 34.2), and limited to patients with cT2 disease was 33.1% (95% CI 28.7, 37.5). Conclusions: This large real-world cohort representing the continuum of practice settings in the United States confirms that long-term survival is achievable in a subset of patients treated with TUR + chemotherapy alone for MIBC. Refinement of this bladder-sparing approach integrating putative predictive biomarkers of pathologic complete response is now the focus of recently initiated prospective clinical trials.