Purpose: We evaluated trends in oncologic characteristics and outcomes as well as perioperative management among patients undergoing radical cystectomy at Memorial Sloan Kettering from 1995 to 2015.
Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed our institutional database to analyze changes in disease recurrence probability, cancer specific and all cause mortality, incidence of muscle invasive bladder cancer, use of perioperative chemotherapy, rate of positive soft tissue surgical margins and lymph node yield.
Results: In 2,740 patients with nonmetastatic urothelial carcinoma undergoing radical cystectomy from 1995 to 2015 the 5-year probability of disease recurrence decreased from a peak of 42% in 1997 to 34% in 2013 (p=0.045), while the 5-year probability of cancer specific mortality likewise declined from 36% in 1997 to 24% in 2013 (p=0.009). The incidence of nonmuscle invasive disease before radical cystectomy did not change, comprising 30% to 35% of patients across the study period. Use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy rose significantly as 57% of patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer from 2010 to 2015 received it. We observed a corresponding rise in complete pathological response (pT0) at radical cystectomy, as well as decreasing positive soft tissue surgical margins (10% to 2.5%) and rising lymph node yield (7 to 24) from 1995 to 2015.
Conclusions: During a 21-year period outcomes after radical cystectomy at our institution improved significantly, as the probability of recurrence and cancer specific mortality decreased. Increasing use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, rising pT0 rates, decreased positive soft tissue surgical margins and increasing lymph node yields likely contributed, suggesting that optimized surgical and perioperative care led to improved cancer outcomes in patients undergoing radical cystectomy.
Keywords: cystectomy; disease-free survival; lymph node excision; neoadjuvant therapy; urinary bladder neoplasms.