Neoadjuvant Gemcitabine-Cisplatin Plus Radical Cystectomy-Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection for Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer: A 12-year Experience

The aim of this study was to determine drug delivery/toxicity, and pathologic/surgical outcomes of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) receiving neoadjuvant gemcitabine-cisplatin (GC) plus radical cystectomy-pelvic lymph node dissection (RC-PLND).Chemotherapy and surgical/pathologic outcomes were retrospectively analyzed with 5-year survival follow-up at a referral center. Post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) pathologic endpoints included complete response (pT0N0), residual non-MIBC (pTa/Tis/T1N0), and ≥ MIBC (≥ pT2 and/or N+). Associations of pathologic/surgical findings with overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and surgical management with RC-PLND were analyzed (Cox regression).Clinical T2a-T4aN0M0 MIBC patients (n = 154) from January 2000-October 2012 received GC plus RC-PLND. Patients (n = 117; 76%) received GC × 4 and 136 (88%) GC × 3. Five-year OS was 61% (95% confidence interval [CI], 53-71). Median number of resected lymph nodes (LNs) was 19. Down-staging was observed as follows: pT0N0: 21%; pTa/Tis/T1N0: 25%, with similar 5-year OS (85% and 89%, respectively). Five-year OS for < pT2 versus ≥ pT2 residual disease was 87% (95% CI, 78%-98%) versus 38% (95% CI, 27%-53%); P < .001. Post-NAC stage ≥ pT2 (HR, 6.79; 95% CI, 2.63-17.53; P < .001), positive LN (HR, 3.64; 95% CI, 1.84-7.19; P < .001), and positive margins (HR, 4.15; 95% CI, 1.68-10.25; P = .002) were associated with increased risk of all-cause death (multivariable analysis). An HR of 0.97 (95% CI, 0.94-1.00) was observed for each additional node removed, but this effect was not statistically significant (P = .056).Neoadjuvant GC achieves meaningful pathologic responses. Patients with ≥ pT2 residual disease, positive margins, or positive LN post-chemotherapy have inferior survival.