[Radiotherapy of urothelial carcinomas of the urinary bladder]

Radiotherapy of bladder cancer is a locally effective therapeutic approach. It is increasingly becoming part of the multimodal protocols aimed at the preservation of both organ and organ function. In this context, it is an alternative to cystectomy. The addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy enhances the curative potential of this non-surgical approach and may be useful especially in older, multimorbid patients. If chemotherapy can not be applied, the use of radiotherapy alone is reasonable, although in advanced tumors the results are disappointing. After the transurethral resection of bladder cancer, postoperative radiotherapy should be considered in muscle-invasive cancer as well as when other negative prognostic factors occur. The prerequisites for an effective, minimally toxic, state of the art radiotherapy are a subtle treatment-planning procedure and an accurate delivery of the radiation.