Management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer

The incidence of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is increasing. Many different and multimodal novel treatment options were brought on the way since the beginning of a new era in the early 1980s, when the neobladder as a common option for urinary diversion had been induced. In addition to open radical cystectomy and urinary diversion, recently, minimal invasive surgery has been implemented in experienced centers and led to promising results in short term follow-up, awaiting confirmation in larger cohorts. Pelvic lymphnode dissection can cure patients with low metastatic load. Expansion of pelvic lymphonodal dissection and its influence on survival was discussed intensively with trends to a moderate enlargement of the standard field. Outcome in nodal positive disease is remaining poor, while 90% of patients with multiple lymphnode metastases will suffer from systemic progress 5 years after diagnosis. In the last decade, treatment regimens based on neoajuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy were published with different results on efficiency. To decide whether to treat with surgery alone, or to offer perioperative systemic cytostatic therapy, is one of the unanswered questions. Furthermore, bladder preserving techniques are still optional for patients with small unifocal lesions or the medically unfit cohort. This review summarizes current data and aims to help guiding through several available recommendations on therapy and management of MIBC.