Purpose: Bladder cancer is predominant in the elderly. Up to 70% of geriatric patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer do not receive curative treatment. We analyzed the outcome of patients managed only by transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) without chemo- or radio-therapy, and performed a cost analysis of the cumulative inpatient interventions throughout the course of the disease.
Methods: From 2010 to 2016 81 patients ≥75 years with de novo muscle-invasive bladder cancer who were not eligible for curative treatment options were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were treated only with TURBT. Overall survival (OS) was measured by Kaplan-Meier plots (log-rank test) and clinical parameters predicting OS by a multivariate analysis. The cost analysis was based on actual billing from the hospital provider and referenced standardized pricing in Germany for bladder cancer treatment.
Results: The median age was 83 years. The OS was 11 months, the 1-year OS was 42%. In the multivariate model Charlson Comorbidity Index <8 (P = 0.016), tumor size ≤3 cm (P = 0.011), complete (T0) tumor resection (P = 0.003), normal C-reactive protein level (P = 0.010), and initial elective surgery (P = 0.035) were shown to be independent predictors of longer OS in palliative TURBT regimes. Median treatment cost for the TURBT regimen was $16,175 vs. $16,467 for a salvage radical cystectomy in this cohort.
Conclusions: In a TURBT-only concept elective surgery, tumor size, Charlson Comorbidity Index, C-reactive protein level and complete TURBT are independent predictors of OS. The treatment-related cumulative cost appears to be higher in patients not managed by cystectomy.
Keywords: Costs; Geriatric patients; Muscle-invasive bladder cancer; Natural history; Overall survival.
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