Trial of bladder sparing for patients with invasive bladder cancer by transurethral resection and intra-arterial chemotherapy

Abstract

(Background) We reviewed our experience with bladder conservative treatment for invasive bladder cancer in 20 patients to investigate which type of tumor was suitable for organ conservation. (Methods) We performed radical transurethral resection with dissection to deep layer of the muscle plus intra-arterial chemoinfusion of the cis-platinum at a dose of 80 ~ 100 mg/body twice at least, and the recurrent tumor was treated by the same procedure. There were 13 cases of stage T2 and 7 cases of stage T3a. All patients were pathologically diagnosed transitional cell carcinoma with 9 cases of grade 2 and 11 cases of grade 3. (Results) With a follow-up of 36 months (range 18 to 82), 15 (75%) of 20 patients were survived and 10 (50%) of 20 patients were free of tumor. Of 5 patients with residual or recurrent tumor, 2 patient underwent cystectomy and the others were required transurethral resection. Of 5 patients died, 4 patients died of cancer all with distant metastasis (lung meta: 2 cases, liver meta: 2 cases). In reference to tumor characteristics, all 4 patients had over 3 cm diameter tumors with non-papillary surface and 3 of 4 patients had invasive tumors extended to bladder neck and prostatic urethra. Of 15 patients alive, 7 (47%) patients had non-papillary tumors, 9 (60%) had grade 3 tumors, 5 (33%) had T3a tumors, but invasion of the prostate urethra was recognized in only 3 patients (20%). (Conclusion) We had possibility of doing organ prevention therapy for the patients with invasive bladder cancer, even though it was non-papillary or grade 3 tumor. On the other hand, it was thought that a conservative approach should not be considered in patients with large non- papillary tumors that extended to bladder neck and prostatic urethra.