Short- and long-term survival has improved after radical cystectomy for bladder cancer in Québec during the years 2000-2015.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the short- and long-term outcome in bladder cancer (BC) patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC) in Québec (Canada).

METHODS: Data were collected from provincial registries on all BC patients who underwent RC in Québec province in 2000-2015. Outcomes were hospitalization rates and survival. Survival analyses were conducted using log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS: In total, 4450 patients were included in our analysis. RC was increasingly conducted by higher-volume surgeons in larger, higher-volume, academic hospitals. Comparing patients treated in 2010-2015 to 2000-2009, recently treated patients had shorter postoperative hospital stays (absolute difference, 0.9 days, P < 0.001) but also a higher readmission rate (25.0% vs 21.1% in the 30 days following discharge, P = 0.003). Overall (5-year rates 50.9% vs 42.7%, P < 0.001) and BC-specific survival (61.3% vs 55.5%, P < 0.001) had significantly improved. In multivariable analyses, overall survival was significantly better in recently treated patients (hazard ratio [HR], 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60-0.73), younger patients (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.14-1.19), patients residing closer to the hospital (HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.06), and patients treated by high-volume surgeons (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.82-0.94).

CONCLUSIONS: Survival in BC patients after RC has improved in recent years. Other predictors for survival are younger age, shorter distance between patients' residences and hospitals, and higher surgeon's RC loads.