Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor (TUR-BT) then Concomitant Radiation and Cisplatin Followed by Adjuvant Gemcitabine and Cisplatin in Muscle Invasive Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC) of the Urinary Bladder.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerance of bladder preservation trimodality protocol combining maximal transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) with concomitant chemoradiation (CCRT) followed by adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with muscle invasive transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 2004 and May 2006, 40 patients with invasive TCC (T2-T4a) presented to the Radiation Oncology and Urosurgery departments - Ain Shams University hospitals and were enrolled in this prospective phase II study. Patients were treated using concurrent cisplatin and 45Gy radiotherapy (induction phase) after maximal TUR-BT. Patients were reevaluated 2 weeks after induction CCRT, by cystoscopy, repeated biopsy and urine cytology. Those with complete pathologic response (CR) received consolidation CCRT to 64.8Gy. Patients with less than CR were advised to undergo radical cystectomy (RC). Four cycles of adjuvant gemcitabine 1250mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 and cisplatin 70mg/m2 on day 1, repeated every 3 weeks, were given following definitive therapy.

RESULTS: Twenty-four patients achieved CR after initial 45Gy CCRT, 22 of them received additional consolidation CCRT. Eight of 14 patients who did not achieve CR after induction CCRT underwent RC. A total of 30 patients (75%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. Twenty percent (20%) and 13.7% of patients experienced at least one severe (grade 3) toxicity during induction and consolidation phase of CCRT, respectively, mainly neutropenia, cystitis, proctatitis and nausea and vomiting, while 46% experienced at least one severe (grade 3 or 4) toxicity during adjuvant chemotherapy, mainly neutropenia (32%), thrombocytopenia (11%) and nausea and vomiting (29%). Local and/or regional failure was recorded in 40% of patients and distant metastasis was reported in 25%. Eighteen patients (45%) retained functioning and healthy urinary bladder at the end of follow-up. The 2-year actuarial survival and progression free survival (PFS) were 67% (95% CI 52.2%-82.7%) and 58% (95% CI 42.3%-74.0%), respectively. There was significantly better 2 year survival for patients having complete TUR-BT before CCRT.

CONCLUSION: Trimodality approach is a reasonable and safe alternative to RC with manageable toxicities. Longer follow-up with a larger number of patients is necessary to assess its impact on overall and disease-free survival. Key Words: Bladder cancer , Chemoradiotherapy , Cisplatin , Gemcitabine.