[Radiotherapy of urinary bladder cancers]

Stagnation in the therapeutic results obtained in treating bladder carcinomas and the very similar results of all treatment methods show that essentially it is not the primary treatment but the stage and biological potency of the tumor that determines the course of the disease. From a radio-oncological viewpoint, it therefore seems appropriate to suggest a treatment concept based on these prognostic criteria, which is adjusted according to the possible therapeutic benefit. The value of radiotherapy as an alternative to cystectomy or as a combination procedure with radical surgical interventions is discussed on the basis of the current literature and our own treatment results.