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The Role of Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Bladder Cancer

  • Chapter
Tumours in Urology

Abstract

This chapter will not attempt to give a detailed review of data from phase II studies of systemic chemotherapy in advanced urothelial cancer, as such information has been reviewed comprehensively elsewhere (Yagoda 1987; Seidman and Scher 1991). Rather, we will seek to place in context information on the role of systemic chemotherapy in the treatment of primary muscle invasive bladder cancers, in the management of locally extensive, recurrent tumours and metastatic disease. The role of chemotherapy in the management of primary, muscle-invasive bladder cancer will be considered as follows:

  1. 1.

    The use of chemotherapy as sole treatment (monotherapy), in attempts to conserve bladder function. Conventional radical treatments are reserved in such patients for the treatment of local failure of chemotherapy.

  2. 2.

    Chemotherapy as an adjuvant to conservative surgery (partial cystectomy or endoscopic resection of tumour) and as an adjunct to conventional radical radiotherapy. In either case, the role of chemotherapy may be seen as increasing the local control rate and thus enhancing the likelihood of bladder conservation.

  3. 3.

    The use of systemic chemotherapy in the conventional adjuvant or neo-adjuvant setting. That is, it is given in addition to conventional radical treatment, such as cystectomy or radiotherapy, in the hope that the destruction of occult micrometastases might improve cure rates for a disease in which conventional treatments produce only modest numbers of long term survivors.

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Authors
  1. J. T. Roberts
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  2. R. R. Hall
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, The Medical School, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    David E. Neal MS FRCS (Professor) (Professor)

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© 1994 Springer-Verlag London Limited

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Roberts, J.T., Hall, R.R. (1994). The Role of Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Bladder Cancer. In: Neal, D.E. (eds) Tumours in Urology. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2086-5_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2086-5_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-2088-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-2086-5

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