Radical External Beam Radiotherapy of Urinary Bladder Carcinoma an analysis of results in 500 patients

Abstract

Between 1970 and 1985, 500 patients with urinary bladder carcinoma received external beam radiotherapy with curative intent at the Centre of Oncology in Krakow. The 5-year survival without evidence of cancer for Tl patients was 100% (5/5), for T2 48.7% (19/39), for T3 32% (128/400), and for T4 7.1% (4/56). In our patients the clinical T category was the only pretherapeutic prognostic parameter of statistical significance confirmed in uni- and multivariate analysis. The tolerance of therapy was poorer in patients who had partial transurethral resection of the bladder tumour performed prior to radiation therapy, and in those whose bladder volume was less than 200 ml. The additional irradiation of regional (pelvic) lymph nodes seemed to improve survival of patients with T3 bladder carcinoma.