Partial cystectomy followed by postoperative irradiation in treatment of bladder carcinoma (P2/P3)

The 5- and 10-year survival rate was 25 and 16%, respectively, in 107 patients with P2 and P3 bladder carcinoma treated with partial cystectomy followed by postoperative high voltage irradiation. The depth of tumour infiltration was of major prognostic significance though patients with P3a tumours had a significantly better prognosis than those with P2 carcinomas. Within the same P category, the histological differentiation represented no prognostic factor. Patients with tumours without blood vessel and/or lymphatic vessel infiltration survived significantly longer than patients with such infiltration. High voltage postoperative irradiation prolonged survival in some patient groups (non-radically operated tumours, early tumour recurrence, grade III tumours) only if irradiation was supplied with high cumulative radiation effect (CRE) values.