Conventionally administered preoperative radiotherapy in urinary bladder cancer

27 patients with locally advanced carcinoma (T2-T4) of the urinary bladder received preoperative pelvic irradiation of 4000 cGy in four weeks before cystectomy. Good response to radiotherapy and stage reduction was seen in cystectomy specimens of eight patients. They remained disease free during the mean follow-up of 73 months and had the mean survival time of 78 months. Twelve patients who had a residual tumour at cystectomy developed distant failure during the follow-up. The mean survival time for these patients was 28 months. The five-year survival rate of the entire group was 44%. Four patients (14%) died of postoperative complications. (orig.)