Pathological Features and Adverse Prognosis of a Contemporary Series of Neuroendocrine Bladder Tumours

Abstract

Objective: Neuroendocrine bladder tumours are rare entities known for their aggressive behaviour. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the outcome of a contemporary series of 14 consecutive bladder neuroendocrine neoplasms observed at 2 institutional hospitals. Materials and Methods: The charts of patients with a pathological diagnosis of neuroendocrine bladder tumours observed at 2 institutions in the last 5 years were reviewed. Fourteen cases were retrieved. The main endpoint was to evaluate the pathological features and the cancer-specific survival (CSS) of the cohort. Subanalysis of survival based on the type of treatment received was attempted. Results: Mean age was 70.2 years. The rate of metastatic disease at diagnosis was 57.1%. Mean follow-up was 13.7 months (95% CI 5.1–22.3). The 6-month CSS rate was 57.1%, while the 2-year CSS rate was 21.4%. CSS and overall survival rates overlapped. The median survival for the cohort was 7 months. There was no statistically significant difference in survival between patients who underwent surgery and those who did not. Conclusion: Neuroendocrine bladder tumours remain a disease with an extremely unfavourable prognosis. The impact of radical surgery on survival remains questionable. Patients harbouring this rare bladder cancer should be referred for trials assessing neoadjuvant and adjuvant systemic treatment strategies.