Combined Systemic Chemotherapy and Irradiation of Muscle-Invasive Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder

Abstract

A phase II study is presented, which encompasses the period June 1987 until July 1993, and includes 53 patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer T2–4b who, due to age and/or poor health (37 cases) or primarily extensive lesions (18 cases), were considered inoperable and for whom treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (cisplatin/methotrexate/leucovorin rescue) and radical irradiation was planned. The total number of intended chemotherapy courses could be delivered without undue toxicity to 46 patients (83%) and 44 subsequently underwent radiotherapy: this modality was, by and large, well tolerated. The primary transurethral resection and chemotherapy produced an objective response in 62% of the 53 patients and in 75% of the 44 evaluable patients. The combined programme produced an objective response in 83% of the 37 evaluable patients, 71% in the 44 patients who completed the combined programme and in 59% of the total group of 53 patients. The follow-up ranged from 3 to 62 months. Radiotherapy increased the total objective response rate, proving effective in approximately 50% of patients who did not respond to chemotherapy. The results of this study are regarded as promising and pave the way for a phase III trial.