Abstract
Non-transitional cell carcinomas of the urothelial tract comprise 5–10% of urothelial cancers. Clinical information regarding the clinical behavior and chemotherapy outcome of non-transitional cell carcinomas of the urothelial tract are incomplete due to their rarity. The object of this study was to evaluate the clinical features and the efficacy of palliative chemotherapy in advanced non-transitional cell carcinomas of the urothelial tract. We analyzed the clinical records of 21 consecutive patients who received palliative chemotherapy for unresectable or metastatic non-transitional cell carcinomas of the urothelial tract between January 1995 and November 2007. All the 21 patients received first-line chemotherapy with platinum-based regimens which are known to be effective in transitional cell urothelial carcinomas. The median age of the patients was 57 years (range, 27–71 years). The primary sites of involvement were the bladder, urethra, urachus, and ureter in 43%, 29%, 19%, and 10% of the patients, respectively. Adenocarcinoma was the most common histological type (67%); squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma comprised 24 and 10% of the histologic types, respectively. With a median duration of follow-up of 32 months (range, 12–71 months), the median overall survival for all 21 patients from the day of first-line chemotherapy was 13 months (95% CI, 6.8–19.2). The expected 1-year survival rate was 50.6% (95% CI, 28.6–72.5). Univariate analysis showed a better median overall survival in patients with adenocarcinoma, compared to non-adenocarcinomas (47 vs. 10 months, P = 0.049). The median overall survival of patients who received platinum-based palliative chemotherapy for advanced non-transitional cell carcinomas was comparable to previous studies for patients with transitional cell carcinomas. Adenocarcinomas appear to have a favorable prognosis for the survival of the patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced non-transitional cell carcinomas.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dahm P, Gschwend JE. Malignant non-urothelial neoplasms of the urinary bladder: a review. Eur Urol. 2003;44:672–81. doi:10.1016/S0302-2838(03)00416-0.
Manunta A, Vincendeau S, Kiriakou G, Lobel B, Guille F. Non-transitional cell bladder carcinomas. BJU Int. 2005;95:497–502. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2005.05327.x.
Bamias A, Aravantinos G, Deliveliotis C, Bafaloukos D, Kalofonos C, Xiros N, et al. Docetaxel and cisplatin with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) versus MVAC with G-CSF in advanced urothelial carcinoma: a multicenter, randomized, phase III study from the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group. J Clin Oncol. 2004;22:220–8. doi:10.1200/JCO.2004.02.152.
Bamias A, Moulopoulos LA, Koutras A, Aravantinos G, Fountzilas G, Pectasides D, et al. The combination of gemcitabine and carboplatin as first-line treatment in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma. A Phase II study of the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group. Cancer. 2006;106:297–303. doi:10.1002/cncr.21604.
Roberts JT, von der Maase H, Sengelov L, Conte PF, Dogliotti L, Oliver T, et al. Long-term survival results of a randomized trial comparing gemcitabine/cisplatin and methotrexate/vinblastine/doxorubicin/cisplatin in patients with locally advanced and metastatic bladder cancer. Ann Oncol. 2006;17(Suppl 5):v118–22. doi:10.1093/annonc/mdj965.
von der Maase H, Sengelov L, Roberts JT, Ricci S, Dogliotti L, Oliver T, et al. Long-term survival results of a randomized trial comparing gemcitabine plus cisplatin, with methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, plus cisplatin in patients with bladder cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23:4602–8. doi:10.1200/JCO.2005.07.757.
Dreicer R, Manola J, Roth BJ, See WA, Kuross S, Edelman MJ, et al. Phase III trial of methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin versus carboplatin and paclitaxel in patients with advanced carcinoma of the urothelium. Cancer. 2004;100:1639–45. doi:10.1002/cncr.20123.
Serretta V, Pomara G, Piazza F, Gange E. Pure squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder in western countries. Report on 19 consecutive cases. Eur Urol. 2000;37:85–9. doi:10.1159/000020105.
Kastritis E, Dimopoulos MA, Antoniou N, Deliveliotis C, Chrisofos M, Skolarikos A, et al. The outcome of patients with advanced pure squamous or mixed squamous and transitional urothelial carcinomas following platinum-based chemotherapy. Anticancer Res. 2006;26:3865–9.
Galsky MD, Iasonos A, Mironov S, Scattergood J, Donat SM, Bochner BH, et al. Prospective trial of ifosfamide, paclitaxel, and cisplatin in patients with advanced non-transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelial tract. Urology. 2007;69:255–9. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2006.10.029.
Choong NW, Quevedo JF, Kaur JS. Small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder. The Mayo Clinic experience. Cancer. 2005;103:1172–8. doi:10.1002/cncr.20903.
Shokeir AA. Squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder: pathology, diagnosis and treatment. BJU Int. 2004;93:216–20. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2004.04588.x.
Loehrer PJ Sr, Einhorn LH, Elson PJ, Crawford ED, Kuebler P, Tannock I, et al. A randomized comparison of cisplatin alone or in combination with methotrexate, vinblastine, and doxorubicin in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma: a cooperative group study. J Clin Oncol. 1992;10:1066–73.
von der Maase H, Hansen SW, Roberts JT, Dogliotti L, Oliver T, Moore MJ, et al. Gemcitabine and cisplatin versus methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin in advanced or metastatic bladder cancer: results of a large, randomized, multinational, multicenter, phase III study. J Clin Oncol. 2000;18:3068–77.
Logothetis CJ, Dexeus FH, Finn L, Sella A, Amato RJ, Ayala AG, et al. A prospective randomized trial comparing MVAC and CISCA chemotherapy for patients with metastatic urothelial tumors. J Clin Oncol. 1990;8:1050–5.
Kaufman D, Raghavan D, Carducci M, Levine EG, Murphy B, Aisner J, et al. Phase II trial of gemcitabine plus cisplatin in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2000;18:1921–7.
Moore MJ, Winquist EW, Murray N, Tannock IF, Huan S, Bennett K, et al. Gemcitabine plus cisplatin, an active regimen in advanced urothelial cancer: a phase II trial of the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group. J Clin Oncol. 1999;17:2876–81.
Adamo V, Magno C, Spitaleri G, Garipoli C, Maisano C, Alafaci E, et al. Phase II study of gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with advanced or metastatic bladder cancer: long-term follow-up of a 3-week regimen. Oncology. 2005;69:391–8. doi:10.1159/000089993.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hong, J.Y., Choi, M.K., Uhm, J.E. et al. Palliative chemotherapy for non-transitional cell carcinomas of the urothelial tract. Med Oncol 26, 186–192 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-008-9106-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-008-9106-7