Ileal neobladder and local recurrence of bladder cancer: patterns of failure and impact on function in men

Creation of an ileal neobladder has become a standard procedure in patients undergoing cystectomy for invasive bladder cancer. We evaluated the impact of local recurrence on ileal neobladder function and survival.

Between April 1986 and February 1997, 357 men underwent radical cystectomy and ileal neobladder substitution at our institution. We retrospectively reviewed the records of these patients to determine patterns of local recurrence and survival rates.

Local recurrence developed in 43 of the 357 patients (12%), in whom median survival plus or minus standard deviation was 17 +/- 1.6 months and median time to recurrence was 10 months (range 2 to 41). Of the 43 patients with local recurrence at followup 36 had local advanced cancer on the final pathological evaluation (stage pT3a or node positive, or greater). A total of 17 patients (43%) had concomitant distant metastasis. Of the 43 patients 3 are alive at 36, 48 and 147 months, respectively. Death was due to disease in 36 cases, chemotherapy related complications in 3 and another cause in 1. Of the 43 patients 40 maintained good neobladder function. Local recurrence interfered with the upper urinary tract in 24 cases, neobladder in 10 and intestinal tract in 7. The neobladder was removed only in 1 patient due to a neovesical intestinal fistula.

The local recurrence rate after orthotopic urinary reconstruction is 12%. Survival after local recurrence is diagnosed is limited despite multimodality therapy. However, most patients may anticipate normal neobladder function even in the presence of recurrent disease or until death. Thus, creating orthotopic diversion after cystectomy in patients with locally advanced bladder cancer, including macroscopically or microscopically positive lymph nodes, is safe.