Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin and methotrexate in patients with muscle-invasive bladder tumours

• Published in: Acta oncologica Vol. 41; no. 5; p. 447
• Main Authors: Sengeløv, Lisa, von der Maase, Hans, Lundbeck, Finn, Barlebo, Henrik, Colstrup, Hans, Engelholm, Svend Aage, Krarup, Torben, Madsen, Ebbe Lindegård, Meyhoff, Hans Henrik, Mommsen, Søren, Nielsen, Ole Steen, Pedersen, Dorte, Steven, Kenneth, Sørensen, Bent
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 2002
• Subjects: Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Biomarkers - blood; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell - mortality; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell - pathology; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell - radiotherapy; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell - surgery; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Cisplatin - administration & dosage; Combined Modality Therapy; Creatinine - blood; Cystectomy; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Humans; Leucovorin - administration & dosage; Life Tables; Male; Methotrexate - administration & dosage; Middle Aged; Muscle, Smooth - pathology; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Prospective Studies; Radiotherapy, High-Energy; Survival Analysis; Survival Rate; Treatment Outcome; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - drug therapy; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - mortality; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - pathology; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - surgery
• ISSN: 0284-186X
• DOI: 10.1080/028418602320405041

This prospective, randomized study based on two associated trials was designed to evaluate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin and methotrexate with folinic acid rescue or no chemotherapy prior to local treatment in patients with T2-T4b, NX-3, MO transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. In the first trial, local treatment consisted of cystectomy (DAVECA 8901) and in the other trial the treatment was radiotherapy (DAVECA 8902); 153 eligible patients were randomized. The majority of the patients (89%) completed the protocol. The overall time to progression for all 153 patients was 12.9 months. Median time to progression was 14.2 months with chemotherapy and 11.4 months without chemotherapy. The actuarial 5-year overall survival rate for all 153 patients was 29%, and 29% for both treatment groups. Multivariate analyses showed that T-stage, tumour size and serum creatinine were independent prognostic factors for survival. The cystectomy trial included 33 patients. Median survival was 78.9 months, 82.5 months with chemotherapy and 45.8 months without chemotherapy (p = 0.76). The radiotherapy trial included 120 patients. The median survival was 17.6 months. Median survival was 19.2 months in the group receiving chemotherapy and 16.3 in the group not receiving chemotherapy. The 5-year survival rate was 19% in the group receiving chemotherapy and 24% in the groups not receiving chemotherapy (p = 0.98). Late toxicity grade 3 or 4 of the bladder was recorded in 25% of the patients (actuarial rate). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin and methotrexate did not significantly improve disease-free or overall survival in 153 randomized patients with invasive bladder cancer.