Case report: complete response of metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder with chemotherapy alone

Transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder has remained to date basically a surgical disease with the addition of preoperative radiation therapy to increase survival. Chemotherapy for bladder cancer is administered either in an adjuvant setting or in patients with metastatic disease, most of whom have been treated already with cystectomy and/or radiation. We report a complete response at 54 months in a patient with clinical stage D2 and pathologic stage D1 carcinoma using cisplatin, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide. The patient was treated with urinary diversion and chemotherapy alone, and no attempt was made to remove the primary lesion.