Radiotherapy immediately after transurethral resection for superficial bladder cancers

Radiotherapy immediately after transurethral resection (TUR) was performed in 46 patients with superficial (stage pTa and pT1) and low grade (grade 1 and 2) bladder cancers as a prophylaxis against tumor recurrence. All patients received TUR and external irradiation (linac, 5 Gray twice a week, total dose of 20 Gray) for whole bladder field were started immediately after TUR. The mean observation period was 38.5 months and the actual probability of the recurrence rate of bladder cancers was 4.7% at one year, 7.5% at two years and 7.5% in five years. There were no marked side effects of fatal complications due to this therapy during these observation periods. These results were significantly superior to those of other reports including no therapy after TUR, other radiotherapies, intravesical anticancer agents or BCG after TUR. Our results suggest that this radiotherapy after TUR is useful and safe prophylactic method against recurrence of superficial and low grade bladder cancers. (author)