[Bladder-conserving treatment for bladder cancer: potential of and developments in radiotherapy]

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2013;157(19):A5556.
[Article in Dutch]

Abstract

The standard treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer is surgical removal of the bladder and construction of a neobladder. Recently, important improvements have been made in the potential for bladder-conserving treatment using radiotherapy. External beam radiotherapy has undergone technological improvements, as a result of which it is possible to radiate the tumour more precisely while decreasing radiation to healthy tissue. Radiochemotherapy improves local recurrence-free and overall survival compared with radiotherapy alone. The results of this combined treatment are comparable with those of surgery. Additionally, Dutch radiotherapy departments have collected data in a national database of 1040 selected patients with confined bladder cancer. These patients were treated with external beam radiation, limited surgery and brachytherapy. The 5-year local recurrence-free survival was 75%. Bladder conserving treatment options for muscle-invasive bladder cancer should be discussed during the multidisciplinary meeting.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Brachytherapy
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Disease Progression
  • Humans
  • Muscle Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Muscle Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Muscle Neoplasms / mortality
  • Muscle Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / epidemiology
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / prevention & control
  • Prognosis
  • Survival Analysis
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / mortality
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / surgery