Patterns of Utilization and Outcomes of Perioperative Chemotherapy in Patients With Locally Advanced-urothelial Bladder Cancer (LABC)-Real World Data From an Indian Tertiary Care Cancer Center.

AIM: Optimal utilization of perioperative systemic therapy in locally advanced bladder cancer (LABC) holds the key in improving the survival outcomes. We aim to analyze the oncological outcomes of clinically locally advanced urothelial bladder cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant (NACT) or adjuvant chemotherapy or without any systemic therapy in the perioperative period of radical cystectomy.

METHODS & MATERIAL: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients with cancer of the urinary bladder diagnosed between 2012 and 2020. The demographic profile, and the treatment received, was recorded for all patients. Oncological outcomes of the patients based on these variables were analyzed.

RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty nine (229) locally advanced bladder cancer patients were included in the study. Eighty eight (38%) of them underwent upfront radical cystectomy and 141 (62%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). With a median follow-up of 27 months, the 2-year DFS in either of the groups was 65.4% and 67.1% respectively (P - 0.373). In the multivariate analysis, the pathological lymph nodal status and lymph vascular invasion (LVI) status influenced the DFS. The initial modality of management chosen did not affect the outcome. (HR - 0.688; 95% CI: 0.38-1.21). The commonest reason for not receiving NACT was Cisplatin ineligibility due to malignant obstructive uropathy and a subgroup analysis of this set of patients also did not show any significant difference in 2 year DFS compared to those who received NACT.

CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of patients with LABC are unable to receive the recommended neoadjuvant chemotherapy and obstructive uropathy is the commonest reason for this in our centre. In our single centre series upfront radical cystectomy followed by adjuvant platinum based therapy had an outcome similar to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in LABC patients, in patients who were unable to receive the same due to various reasons.