ONCOmmunity

Concurrent Chemotherapy Improves the Overall Survival of Patients Irradiated for Locally Recurrent Bladder Cancer.

By: Dirk Rades, Lisa Manig, Stefan Janssen, Steven E Schild

Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany rades.dirk@gmx.net.
2017-01-06; doi:

Abstract

Aim

To investigate the predictive value of several factors, including concurrent chemotherapy, for overall survival of patients irradiated for locally recurrent bladder cancer.

Patients

Thirty patients irradiated for local recurrence of bladder cancer were included; 14 received concurrent chemotherapy. Ten factors were analyzed for overall survival: gender, age, period from bladder cancer diagnosis to irradiation of local recurrence, Karnofsky performance scale, tumour grading, pack-years smoked, smoking during radiotherapy, radiation dose, interruption of radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy.

Results

On univariate analyses, significantly longer overall survival was found for those with age ≤76 years (p=0.024), better performance status (p<0.001) and those treated with concurrent chemotherapy (p<0.001). On Cox regression analysis, concurrent chemotherapy remained significantly associated with survival (risk ratio 3.82, p=0.013); a trend for association was found for performance status (risk ratio 2.50, p=0.076).

Conclusion

Addition of concurrent chemotherapy to radiotherapy for locally recurrent bladder cancer resulted in improved overall survival. Concurrent radiochemotherapy should be considered when this is clinically reasonable for such patients.