Purpose: To evaluate intra-arterial chemotherapy for bladder preservation in patients with locally advanced bladder cancer.
Patients and methods: A total of 34 patients with locally advanced bladder cancer (T2, n=25; T3, n=9) were treated with intra-arterial chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was consisted of intraarterial administration of cisplatin (100 mg/body), and adriamycin or pirarubicin (50 mg/body) every 4 weeks for two cycles. The response was evaluated by TUR, urine cytology, CT and/or MRI 4 weeks after the treatment. In 4 patients, we combined this treatment with radiotherapy.
Results: Among all 34 patients, 12 (35%) patients presented complete response (CR) and 24 patients (70%) presented in objective response (OR). During mean follow up period of 28.7 months, five patients had locally advanced recurrence and one had distant metastasis. The 5-year survival rate was 69.3%. Bladder was conserved in 19 (56%) of all 34 patients. Hematological and gastrointestinal toxicity (more than grade 3) was occurred in 5 and 3 patients. Risk factors on the outcome of this therapy were tumor size >20 mm, multiple tumors and clinical stage > or = cT3. Patients with no or one risk factor had favorable outcomes; the OR rates of 75-100%, the bladder preservation rates of 71-75% and the 5-year cancer specific survival rates of 83%. Whereas patients with two or three risk factors had unfavorable outcomes; the OR rates of 50-58%, the bladder preservation rates of 25-42% and the 3-year cancer specific survival rates of 0-69%.
Conclusion: The treatment of locally advanced bladder cancer with intra-arterial chemotherapy seems to be good for patients with less risk factor, but not so good for patients with more risk factors.