Clinical Results for Bladder Cancer Treated by Radiotherapy Without Concurrent Standard Chemotherapy

To evaluate clinical outcomes of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) alone in patients with bladder cancer who were unfit for concurrent standard chemotherapy.

Between January 2007 and May 2016, 34 patients (20 men, 14 women) aged 65-97 years (median=83) with bladder cancer cT1-4bN0-1M1 were treated with conformal whole-bladder radiotherapy with fractions of 1. 8-3 Gy up to a total dose of 40-50 Gy.

Median survival was 10 months (range=1-99); 1-year and 3-year survival was 51.4% and 34.3%, respectively. Radiation dose >50 Gy was associated with improved survival. Three-year local control (LC) rate was 58.8%. On multivariate analysis, only radiation dose showed a significant association with LC.

Our results demonstrated the safety and feasibility of radiotherapy in patients with bladder cancer unfit for concurrent standard chemotherapy. A higher radiation dose may confer superior LC and overall survival (OS) without complications.

Anticancer research. 2016 Oct [Epub]

Masakuni Sakaguchi, Toshiya Maebayashi, Takuya Aizawa, Naoya Ishibashi, Tsutomu Saito

Department of Radiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan ., Department of Radiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan., Sonodakai Radiation Oncology Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.