Bladder Preservation with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Followed by Concurrent Chemoradiation for the Treatment of Muscle-invasive Carcinoma of the Bladder: A Single-Center Experience

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of the study was to evaluate the short-term response and acute toxicities in muscle-invasive carcinoma urinary bladder treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiation. Materials and Methods Thirty patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer were treated with three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy every 3 weeks. Response assessment was done after 4 weeks with repeat cystoscopy and imaging. Responders were treated with concurrent chemoradiation 60 Gy/30# at 2 Gy/# along with weekly injection cisplatin 35 mg/m 2. Response assessment was done by new response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (version 1.1). Treatment-related acute toxicities were scored using common terminology criteria for adverse events version 4.0. Results Of the 30 patients, 25 patients responded to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with complete response in 17 patients (56.67%) and partial response in eight patients (26.66%). Five patients (16.66%) showed poor response and were advised radical cystectomy, of which four underwent radical cystectomy and one patient opted for concurrent chemoradiation. Of 26 patients who completed chemoradiation, complete response was seen in 21 patients (80.76%) and partial response was seen in four patients (15.38%). Only one patient developed progression of disease in the form of lung metastasis. All the patients with residual disease were advised to undergo salvage cystectomy. Among the patients receiving chemoradiation, grade 2 cystitis and diarrhea was seen in 10 patients (38.46%) and four patients (15.38%), respectively. Only one patient developed grade 3 diarrhea. Conclusion Bladder preservation treatment is an effective, safe, and convenient option for patients presenting with muscle-invasive carcinoma bladder. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation was well-tolerated with an acceptable rate of complications.