Locally advanced leiomyosarcoma of the urinary bladder: near-complete pathologic response to neoadjuvant gemcitabine and docetaxel

Abstract

Leiomyosarcoma of the urinary bladder is a rare mesenchymal tumor with distinct pathologic features. Although radical cystectomy is the standard therapy for locally invasive disease, available literature appears to support the benefit of perioperative chemotherapy, similar to that seen with the more conventional urothelial malignancies. We report on a 77-year-old gentleman with locally advanced leiomyosarcoma of the bladder achieving a near-complete pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with a unique regimen: gemcitabine and docetaxel. Further study of this anthracycline-sparing regimen is warranted.