Overactive Bladder Symptoms in Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

To determine if chemotherapy contributes to the development of overactive bladder (OAB) in female cancer patients.

A prospective, longitudinal study was conducted from 2017 to 2023 at Mount Auburn Hospital to assess the effects of chemotherapy on the development of OAB. Sixty-five female patients diagnosed with nonmetastatic breast cancer, lung cancer, or lymphoma were asked to complete 5 validated questionnaires regarding bladder symptoms just before starting chemotherapy and again at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months.

Fifty-eight patients completed the study. Overall, we detected no significant increase in OAB symptoms at any time point relative to baseline. However, an analysis of the data according to different chemotherapy regimens revealed that patients being treated with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) monoclonal antibodies, either trastuzumab alone or in combination with pertuzumab, had significantly higher scores on the questionnaires after the start of chemotherapy. When the HER2-treatment group was further subdivided, we found that patients receiving both monoclonal antibodies, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab, reported more significant urinary tract discomfort and changes in quality of life, particularly at the 6-month and 12-month time points.

We conclude from our study that women receiving both trastuzumab and pertuzumab for HER2-positive breast cancer may experience an increase in OAB symptoms during the course of their treatment.