[en] Purpose: Combined modality therapy has become the standard oncologic approach to achieve organ preservation in many malignancies. Methods and Materials: Although radical cystectomy has been considered as standard treatment for invasive bladder carcinoma in the United States, good results have been recently reported from several centers using multimodality treatment, particularly in patients with clinical T2 and T3a disease who do not have a ureter obstructed by tumor. Results: The components of the combined treatment are usually transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TURBT) followed by concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Following an induction course of therapy a histologic response is evaluated by cystoscopy and rebiopsy. Clinical 'complete responders' (tumor site rebiopsy negative and urine cytology with no tumor cells present) continue with a consolidation course of concurrent chemotherapy and radiation. Those patients not achieving a clinical complete response are recommended to have an immediate cystectomy. Individually the local monotherapies of radiation, TURBT, or multidrug chemotherapy each achieve a local control rate of the primary tumor of from 20 to 40%. When these are combined, clinical complete response rates of from 65 to 80% can be achieved. Seventy-five to 85% of the clinical complete responders will remain with bladders free of recurrence of an invasive tumor. Conclusions: Bladder conservation trials using combined modality treatment approaches with selection for organ conservation by response of the tumor to initial treatment report overall 5-year survival rates of approximately 50%, and a 40-45% 5-year survival rate with the bladder intact. These modern multimodality bladder conservation approaches offer survival rates similar to radical cystectomy for patients of similar clinical stage and age. Bladder-conserving therapy should be offered to patients with invasive bladder carcinoma as a realistic alternative to radical cystectomy by experienced multimodality teams of urologic oncologists

[en] Purpose: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of local/regional treatment, particularly external beam radiation alone versus radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy in patients with pathologic node positive prostate cancer on survival. The effect of delayed vs. immediate endocrine therapy on patients treated with radiation alone was also examined. Methods: Medical records of all 116 patients who received their initial treatment at the Massachusetts General Hospital between 1980 and 1996 for adenocarcinoma of the prostate with pathologic confirmed nodal metastasis and no distant disease were reviewed. The mean follow up was 5.5 years. Disease specific survival, time to PSA failure on endocrine therapy, and time to first intervention were evaluated. PSA failure was defined as two consecutive post-nadir rises following the first use of endocrine therapy. Intervention was defined as any surgical or radiotherapeutic procedure required for relief of symptoms related to local/regional recurrence. Survival comparisons were made between any local/regional treatment vs. none, radiation therapy alone vs. prostatectomy with radiation therapy, and immediate vs. delayed endocrine therapy. The effect of the different treatment options on survival were compared using multivariate Cox proportional hazard models to simultaneously adjust for patient and tumor characteristics (tumor stage, Gleason grade, number of positive nodes) that might influence survival. Results: The combined patient population had a 5 year disease specific survival of 74% and a 10 year disease specific survival of 48%. The comparison groups for local/regional treatment had the following adjusted outcomes. In a subgroup analysis of patients with clinical T1-T2 and clinical T3-T4 disease, local/regional treatment continued to confer a disease specific survival advantage over no local regional treatment in both subgroups (p=0.05 and p=0.02, respectively). PSA failure on endocrine therapy was significantly delayed in patients undergoing local/regional treatment as compared to no local/regional treatment (at 5 years: 52% vs. 0% respectively, p=0.02), but, even among treated patients, only 17% had not failed biochemically at seven years. Conclusions: Although it appears that all patients with node positive prostate cancer will eventually develop failure, this paper strongly suggests that local/regional therapy offers a medium term survival advantage over no local/regional treatment. The addition of prostatectomy did not confer a demonstrable advantage over radiation therapy alone. In this study, no significant survival advantage was seen with immediate endocrine therapy

[en] Purpose: We performed a retrospective analysis to assess the durability of benefit derived from irradiation after prostatectomy for pT3N0 disease, and the possibility of cure. Methods and Materials: We studied 88 patients who were irradiated after prostatectomy and had available prostate specific antigen (PSA) data, no known nodal or metastatic disease, no hormonal treatment, and follow-up of at least 12 months from surgery. Forty patients received adjuvant therapy for a high risk of local failure with undetectable PSA. Forty-eight patients received salvage therapy for elevated PSA levels. Mean follow up was 44 months from date of surgery and 31 months from irradiation. Biochemical failure was strictly defined as a confirmed rise in PSA of > 10%, or as the ability to detect a previously undetectable PSA value. Results: After salvage irradiation, 69% of patients attained an undetectable PSA. Eighty-eight percent of adjuvant patients were biochemically and clinically free of disease (bNED) at 3 years from prostatectomy. Sixty-eight percent of those receiving salvage irradiation were bNED 3 years after surgery. On univariate analysis, treatment group (adjuvant or salvage), pre-operative PSA, and the status of seminal vesicles were significant prognostic factors. The extent of PSA elevation in the salvage group was also significant. We did not demonstrate a significant difference between those salvage patients referred for persistently elevated PSA as compared to those with a late rise in PSA. On multivariate analysis, the only significant predictor of outcome was treatment group, with adjuvant irradiation having better outcome than salvage. Conclusion: More than two-thirds of this group of patients remain biochemically disease free at 3 years following irradiation, attesting to a number of potential cures. For patients with stage pT3N0 prostate cancer following radical prostatectomy, our data support the use of either routine postoperative adjuvant irradiation or close PSA follow-up with early salvage treatment

[en] Purpose/Objective: Bladder preservation, in the interest of quality of life, is secondary to the primary treatment goal of curing the patient. To evaluate the long term efficacy of a selective bladder preserving approach we updated our prospective series which now includes 40 patients surviving and under surveillance for 5 or more years. Materials and Methods: From 1986 through 1993, 106 patients (median age 68 years) with muscle-invading tumor (stages T₂-T_4a, N_x, M₀) initiated a protocol of maximal transurethral resection followed by 2 cycles of methotrexate, cisplatin and vinblastine plus cisplatin x2 with 40Gy pelvic irradiation. Complete responders and all non-cystectomy candidates received consolidation by cisplatin and 24.8Gy. Incomplete responders underwent immediate radical cystectomy as did those who developed recurrent invasive tumor. Median follow-up is 53 months. Results: Of all 106 patients who initiated induction Combined Modality Treatment (CMT): 1) 83 patients or 78% completed CMT; 33% developed moderate or severe leukopenia, 2) 74 patients (70%) had a Complete Response (CR), 3) the 5 year actuarial overall survival is 52%; for clinical stage T₂ and T₃-T_4a this is 63% and 45%, respectively, 4) 36 patients (34%) have had cystectomy, all for tumor (6 because CMT wasn't tolerated, 13 for < CR, 17 for recurrence); no patient required cystectomy for complications; the 5 year survival with an intact functioning bladder is 43%, 5) 31 patients (20%) have had relapse of a superficial TCC with 4 requiring cystectomy after failing conservative management with a subsequent median follow-up of 58 months. Conclusion: These data demonstrate 1) that induction CMT with transurethral surgery and chemo-radiotherapy and selection for organ-conservation by response have a 52% overall survival which is comparable to immediate cystectomy-based prospective studies of patients with similar age and clinical stages and 2) that the majority of long term survivors retain fully functional bladders

[en] Purpose: Following a thorough Phase I/II study, we evaluated by a Phase III trial high versus conventional dose external beam irradiation as mono-therapy for patients with Stage T3-T4 prostate cancer. Patient outcome following standard dose radiotherapy or following a 12.5% increase in total dose to 75.6 Cobalt Gray Equivalent (CGE) using a conformal perineal proton boost was compared for local tumor control, disease-free survival, and overall survival. Methods and Materials: Stage T3-T4, Nx, N0-2, M0 patients received 50.4 Gy by four-field photons and were randomized to receive either an additional 25.2 CGE by conformal protons (arm 1--the high dose arm, 103 patients, total dose 75.6 CGE) or an additional 16.8 Gy by photons (arm 2--the conventional dose arm, 99 patients, total dose 67.2 Gy). Actuarial overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), total recurrence-free survival (TRFS), (clinically free, prostate specific antigen (PSA) less than 4ng/ml and a negative prostate rebiopsy, done in 38 patients without evidence of disease) and local control (digital rectal exam and rebiopsy negative) were evaluated. Results: The protocol completion rate was 90% for arm 1 and 97% for arm 2. With a median follow-up of 61 months (range 3 to 139 months) 135 patients are alive and 67 have died, 20 from causes other than prostate cancer. We found no significant differences in OS, DSS, TRFS or local control between the two arms. Among those completing randomized treatment (93 in arm 1 and 96 in arm 2), the local control at 5 and 8 years for arm 1 is 92% and 77%, respectively and is 80% and 60%, respectively for arm 2 (p = .089) and there are no significant differences in OS, DSS, and TRFS. The local control for the 57 patients with poorly differentiated (Gleason 4 or 5 of 5) tumors at 5 and 8 years for arm 1 is 94% and 84% and is 64% and 19% on arm 2 (p 0.0014). In patients whose digital rectal exam had normalized following treatment and underwent prostate rebiopsy there was a lower positive rebiopsy rate for arm 1 versus arm 2 patients (28 vs. 45%) and also for those with well and moderately differentiated tumors versus poorly differentiated tumors (32 and 50%). These differences were not statistically significant. Grade 1 and 2 rectal bleeding is higher (32 vs. 12%, p = 0.002) as may be urethral stricture (19 vs. 8%, p = 0.07) in the arm 1 versus arm 2. Conclusions: An increase in prostate tumor dose by external beam of 12.5% to 75.6 CGE by a conformal proton boost compared to a conventional dose of 67.2 Gy by a photon boost significantly improved local control only in patients with poorly differentiated tumors. It has increased late radiation sequelae, and as yet, has not increased overall survival, disease-specific survival, or total recurrence-free survival in any subgroup. These results have led us to test by a subsequent Phase III trial the potential beneficial effect on local control and disease-specific survival of a 12.5% increase in total dose relative to conventional dose in patients with T1, T2a, and T2b tumors

[en] Purpose: Selective bladder preservation by use of trimodality therapy is an established management strategy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Individual disease features have been associated with response to therapy, likelihood of bladder preservation, and disease-free survival. We developed prognostic nomograms to predict the complete response rate, disease-specific survival, and likelihood of remaining free of recurrent bladder cancer or cystectomy. Methods and Materials: From 1986 to 2009, 325 patients were managed with selective bladder preservation at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and had complete data adequate for nomogram development. Treatment consisted of a transurethral resection of bladder tumor followed by split-course chemoradiation. Patients with a complete response at midtreatment cystoscopic assessment completed radiation, whereas those with a lesser response underwent a prompt cystectomy. Prognostic nomograms were constructed predicting complete response (CR), disease-specific survival (DSS), and bladder-intact disease-free survival (BI-DFS). BI-DFS was defined as the absence of local invasive or regional recurrence, distant metastasis, bladder cancer-related death, or radical cystectomy. Results: The final nomograms included information on clinical T stage, presence of hydronephrosis, whether a visibly complete transurethral resection of bladder tumor was performed, age, sex, and tumor grade. The predictive accuracy of these nomograms was assessed. For complete response, the area under the receiving operating characteristic curve was 0.69. The Harrell concordance index was 0.61 for both DSS and BI-DFS. Conclusions: Our nomograms allow individualized estimates of complete response, DSS, and BI-DFS. They may assist patients and clinicians making important treatment decisions

[en] Purpose: To investigate the differences in outcomes among patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer on NRG Oncology Radiation Therapy Oncology Group protocols 9906 and 0233 who achieved complete response and near-complete response after induction chemoradiation and then completed bladder-preserving therapy with chemoradiation therapy (chemo-RT) to full dose (60-64 Gy). Patients and Methods: A pooled analysis was performed on 119 eligible patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer enrolled on NRG Oncology Radiation Therapy Oncology Group trials 9906 and 0233, who were classified as having a complete (T0) or near-complete (Ta or Tis) response after induction chemo-RT and completed consolidation with a total RT dose of at least 60 Gy. Bladder recurrence, salvage cystectomy rates, and disease-specific survival were estimated by the cumulative incidence method and bladder-intact and overall survivals by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Among the 119 eligible patients, 101 (85%) achieved T0, and 18 (15%) achieved Ta or Tis after induction chemo-RT and proceeded to consolidation. After a median follow-up of 5.9 years, 36 of 101 T0 patients (36%) versus 5 of 18 Ta or Tis patients (28%) experienced bladder recurrence (P=.52). Thirteen patients among complete responders eventually required late salvage cystectomy for tumor recurrence, compared with 1 patient among near-complete responders (P=.63). Disease-specific, bladder-intact, and overall survivals were not significantly different between T0 and Ta/Tis cases. Conclusions: The bladder recurrence and salvage cystectomy rates of the complete and the near-complete responders were similar. Therefore it is reasonable to recommend that patients with Ta or Tis after induction chemo-RT continue with bladder-sparing therapy with consolidation chemo-RT to full dose (60-64 Gy).