[en] In the USA the recommended treatment for patients with muscle-invading transitional cell cancer of the bladder is usually radical cystectomy. Conservative surgery (transurethral resection and partial cystectomy), irradiation, and cis-platinum based systemic chemotherapy are, however, each effective for some patients. Although they provide the opportunity for bladder preservation, each modality, when used alone, is inferior to radical cystectomy in terms of local control and, perhaps, survival. Initial response and local control rates are improved when a multimodality approach is used. Up to 85% of patients selected for bladder sparing therapy on the basis of their initial response to chemo-radiation may keep their bladders. This figure could increase further when other powerful prognostic factors, such as the presence of hydronephrosis or carcinoma in situ, are taken into account in initial patient selection. Deferring the patient from immediate cystectomy does not appear to compromise survival. The most appropriate sequencing of radiation and chemotherapy is yet to be established. Concomitant cis-platinum and irradiation improves local control and bladder preservation when compared with irradiation alone but does not decrease the metastatic rate. It is hoped that the well recognized activity of cis-platinum based combination chemotherapy in advanced disease will translate into effective eradication of micrometastatic disease (known to be present in up to 40% of patients at diagnosis). This has yet to be clearly demonstrated in a randomized trial. The addition of combination chemotherapy to radiation does not increase bladder morbidity but carries a considerable systemic risk. Thus, despite promising phase II studies, until a survival benefit is proven in a randomized trial, neoadjuvant or adjuvant combination chemotherapy in conjunction with irradiation should continue to be regarded as experimental