Selective Tetramodal Bladder Preservation Therapy Incorporating Induction Chemoradiotherapy and Consolidative Partial Cystectomy with Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: Oncological and Functional Outcomes of 107 Patients.

To evaluate the oncological and functional outcomes associated with selective tetramodal bladder-sparing therapy, comprising maximal transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TURBT), induction chemoradiotherapy (CRT), and consolidative partial cystectomy (PC) with pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND).

This study analyzed 154 patients with non-metastatic muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who were prospectively enrolled into the tetramodal bladder-preservation protocol. After TURBT and induction CRT, patients showing complete remission were offered consolidative PC with PLND for the achievement of bladder preservation. Pathological response to induction CRT was evaluated using PC specimens. Oncological and functional outcomes after bladder preservation were evaluated using the following endpoints: MIBC recurrence-free survival (MIBC-RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS), and cross-sectional assessments of preserved bladder function and quality of life (QoL) including uroflowmetry, bladder diary, International Prostate Symptom Score, Overactive Bladder Symptom Score, and the Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36).

The median follow-up period was 48 months. Complete MIBC remission was achieved in 121 patients (79%) after CRT, and 107 patients (69%) completed the tetramodal bladder-preservation protocol comprising consolidative PC with PLND. Pathological examination in these 107 patients revealed residual invasive cancer (≥pT1) that was surgically removed in 11 patients (10%) and lymph node metastases in two patients (2%). The 5-year MIBC-RFS, CSS, and OS rates in the 107 patients who completed the protocol were 97%, 93%, and 91%, respectively. As for preserved bladder function, the median maximum voided volume, post-void residual urine volume, and nighttime frequency were 350 ml, 25 ml, and 2, respectively. In the SF-36, patients revealed favorable scores equivalent to the age-matched references in all the QoL scales.

Selective tetramodal-bladder preservation therapy incorporating consolidative PC with PLND yielded favorable oncological and functional outcomes in MIBC patients. Consolidative PC may have contributed to the low rate of MIBC recurrence in patients treated with this protocol. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

BJU international. 2019 Feb 27 [Epub ahead of print]

Toshiki Kijima, Hajime Tanaka, Fumitaka Koga, Hitoshi Masuda, Soichiro Yoshida, Minato Yokoyama, Junichiro Ishioka, Yoh Matsuoka, Kazutaka Saito, Kazunori Kihara, Yasuhisa Fujii

Department of Urology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan., Department of Urology, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Center Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan., Department of Urology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, Japan.