the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced bladder cancer is still debated. Between March 1986 and February 1995, we retrospectively reviewed 25 patients with invasive, pathological stage p3b, P4 or N1 and M0 transitional cell
carcinoma
of the bladder who were treated with radical cystectomy alone (control group), adjuvant M-VAC chemotherapy after the surgery.
The mean follow up period was 28 months. There were 13 patients in the control group and 12in adjuvant chemotherapy group. The pathological stage distributions were P3b in 9 patiens (5 in control group, 4 in chemotherapy group), P4 in 9 patients
(5
in
control group, 4 in chemotherapy group). N1 in 7 patients (3 in control group, 4 in chemotherapy group). median survival times were 27 months in adjuvant chemotherapy group compared to 15 months in the control group, however they were not related
statistically each other (P>0.05). the 2-year survival rates were 38% in control group, 70% in adjuvant chemotherapy group but they were not related statistically each other (P>0.05).
We are not able to confirm the efficacy of adjuvant M-VAC chemotherapy in adlocally ad vanced bladder cancer. However adjuvant chemotherapy scems to have some beneficial effect. Controlled prospective clinical trials large numlber of patients
would
be
needed to assess the real efficacy of adjuvant M-VAC chemotherapy.
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