Comparison of the radical cystectomy and bladder-sparing treatments in terms of survival and quality of life in bladder cancer treatment: a retrospective study

Objective: We investigated the overall survival and life quality in high risk T1G3 and invasive bladder cancer patients who were treated with radical cystectomy-urinary diversion approach or bladder-sparing treatment (BST).

Materials and methods: Thirty-two patients treated with BST (Group 1) and 35 patients treated with radical cystectomy-urinary diversion approach (Group 2) between 2001 and 2007 in our hospital were compared retrospectively. The Turkish version of the quality of life questionnaire consisting of 30 questions and developed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer was applied to assess the quality of life.

Results: Overall survival rates of the one and two years were determined as 93.2% and 58.5% in Group 1, 86.9% and 67.5% in Group 2, respectively. The mean time until progression was 28.4 months in Group 1 and 55.4 months in Group 2. The progression-free survival rate at one and two years were determined as 93.2% and 58.5% in Group 1, and 86.9% and 67.5% in Group 2, respectively.

Conclusion: For the overall and progression-free survival rates at two years, no significant difference was found between the patients treated with radical cystectomy-urinary diversion and BST. These two treatment modalities were also found to be not superior to each other according to the results of the quality of life questionnaire.