Although there are limited and conflicting data behind whether or not adjuvant radiotherapy (ART) after radical cystectomy is useful when treating muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), a recent study shows that around half of radiation oncologists have provided ART to MIBC patients at least once. The study indicates these oncologists did so for various reported indications, and it also found that it may be possible to predict the likelihood they would utilize ART. For example, one of many predicting factors the study revealed is that oncologists with more than 10 years’ experience are more inclined to use ART than their shorter tenured counterparts.

The reported indications stated by radiation oncologists for why ART was provided following radical cystectomy during MIBC treatment were: gross residual disease (93%), positive margins (92%), pathologic nodal involvement (64%), pT3 or T4 disease (46%), lymphovascular invasion (16%), high-grade disease (13%). “Clinical intuition” was not stated as a reported indication in this case.

References:

Persaud N. Adjuvant Radiation Therapy Common in MIBC. Renal & Urology News website. http://www.renalandurologynews.com/genitourinary-cancers-symposium/muscle-invasive-bladder-cancer-adjuvant-radiation-common/article/638715/. Published 17 February 2017.

Solanki AA, Martin B, Korpics M, et al. Adjuvant radiotherapy use after radical cystectomy in muscle-invasive bladder cancer: A survey of U.S. radiation oncologists. Poster presented at: Genitourinary Cancers Symposium; February 16-18, 2017; Orlando, FL.