Background & objective: Although total cystectomy plus neobladder is widely used, with good outcome, to treat men patients with invasive bladder cancer, the experience of treating women patients with the same therapy is limit. This study was designed to investigate the outcome of total cystectomy plus sigmoid neobladder for women patients with invasive bladder cancer.
Methods: Clinical data of 8 women with invasive bladder cancer, who underwent total cystectomy plus sigmoid neobladder from Jan. 2002 to Oct. 2003 in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University, were retrospectively analyzed.
Results: The operations were technically successful in all cases. The mean follow-up was 18 months (ranged 6-24 months). Six patients survived disease-freely;2 developed pelvic metastasis 6 and 12 months after operation respectively. All patients could actively urinate, 4 were continent day and night, 4 were continent at daytime with mild nocturnal incontinence. Mild hydronephrosis was detected in 1 patient 3 months after operation, which disappeared spontaneously 3 months later. Renal function and serum electrolytes were normal in all cases.
Conclusions: Total cystectomy plus sigmoid neobladder could manage invasive bladder cancer in women patients, and the new bladders function well. But night continence in women patients is not as good as that in men patients.