External beam irradiation for T1, T2-3 and T4 transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder

Fifty-seven patients with T1 transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, 57 patients with T2-3 and 10 patients with T4 were treated by radical irradiation +/- salvage cystectomy. Thirty-five patients with T1 were treated by transurethral resection (TUR) plus local chemotherapy +/- salvage cystectomy. Eleven patients with T2-3 were treated with 5 X 4 Gy in one week followed by cystectomy while four patients with T2-3 were treated with 40 Gy in 4 weeks also followed by cystectomy. Five patients with T4 were treated with 40 Gy in 4 weeks plus cystectomy. Seven year survival rates are: 69% for T1 treated by radical irradiation, 43% for T1 treated by TUR (p less than 0.02), 36% for T2-3 treated either by radical irradiation or 5 X 4 Gy plus cystectomy, and 18% for T4 treated by radical irradiation. All the survival rates indicated are free of disease and include the cases in which salvage cystectomy was successfully performed. Sixty per cent of the cured patients conserved very good functional bladders. We believe that external beam irradiation plus salvage cystectomy is indicated in the treatment of T1 and T2-3 tumours of the bladder.