Four years experience in bladder preserving management for muscle invasive bladder cancer

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the bladder preservation strategy in invasive bladder cancer particularly relapse, progression and complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2000 to May 2004 a total of 24 patients (mean age of 81 years; range 68-92) with muscle invasive bladder cancer who had refused or were not eligible for cystectomy were followed up for a period of up to four years. RESULTS: 24 (21 M/3 F) patients were followed up for a mean time of 680 (182-1253) days. All patients complained of frequency, urgency and severe nocturia. The second most frequent complication was bleeding which required a salvage cystectomy in 7 cases. Other major complications were intestinal occlusion in three cases, an enterovesical fistula, brain metastasis requiring neurosurgical intervention and radiation therapy of the brain, bone metastasis in the cervical spinal column and chronic renal failure. The mean re-admission rate was 8 per patient and the mean time spent at the hospital was 109 (range 13-253) days. CONCLUSION: In our series the bladder preserving strategy does not confirm the optimistic results of other authors. The complications forced us to carry out a salvage cystectomy in nearly half of the cases. The other half of the patients complained of other severe complications reducing the quality of life of the remaining life span.