According to an analysis by researchers at the 2015 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Patients who receive chemotherapy after surgery for bladder cancer have an approximately 30% lower risk of death than those who receive only surgery.
Clinical trials have demonstrated the benefits of preoperative chemotherapy (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) given to patients with bladder cancer. However, clinical trials exploring the administration of postoperative chemotherapy (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) have been difficult to interpret, with poorer results not providing an answer leading many trials to be stopped early.
Principal investigator Matthew Galsky, M.D., and his colleagues used an extensive database of U.S. cancer patient diagnoses. Specifically, the study found that overall survival improved for cancer patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery compared to cancer patients who were treated with surgery only and underwent postoperative observation.
Until now, the data supporting adjuvant chemotherapy have been mixed,” said Dr. Garski, associate professor of medicine and associate professor of hematology and oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Our actual case studies support the use of postoperative chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced bladder cancer.”
The study analyzed 5,653 patients, 1,293 who received adjuvant chemotherapy and 4,360 who received surgery only.
Dr. Galsky said: “Pre-surgical chemotherapy for patients with bladder cancer remains the best approach based on the available evidence. However, population-based observational studies can be used to help fill in the gaps in knowledge where conclusive evidence has not been obtained in clinical trials. This comparative effectiveness analysis could help bladder cancer patients who have not received pre-surgical chemotherapy.”