Initial treatment of infiltrating tumors of the bladder. Combined transurethral resection and systemic chemotherapy

: From September 1983 to September 1986, 20 patients (mean age 65 years) with a muscle-infiltrating tumour of the bladder would normally have been treated by total cystectomy. Instead, they were staged by intravenous urography, pelvic and abdominal computerized tomography, physical examination under general anaesthesia and deep transurethral resection, then given neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of cisplatinum and 5-fluorouracil, six courses at intervals of 28 days. Results were evaluated after the 3rd and 6th courses by computerized tomography, intravenous pyelography and transurethral resection. Nine patients had a clinical complete response (6 pT2, 2 pT3, 1 pT4). The median follow-up in january, 1988 was 30 months (range 17-52 months). This protocol was objectively active and well tolerated, even by elderly subjects. Two problems remain concerning patients with complete response: the respective roles of chemotherapy and transurethral resection in the outcome, and the prevention of recurrence (5/9 complete response patients).