PubMed1996
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.