How should we palliate bladder cancer?

The role of radiotherapy in metastatic bladder cancer

“…when the disease is limited to the lung, is supported by several studies with some showing median overall survival in excess of 2 years following complete resection [12][13][14][15][16] . Based on findings such as these the latest European Association of Urology European Association of Medical Oncology guideline on advanced urothelial carcinoma recommends consideration of radical treatment in the presence of a single metastatic site as it is potentially curable [6] .…”

“…Long-term follow-up data from palliative chemotherapy trials have shown a 10%-20% 5 year survival suggesting the existence of a subgroup with a good prognosis [7,10] . In addition, several surgical series have shown survival benefit with metastasectomy in both synchronous and metachronous settings [11][12][13][14][15][16] . There is also limited evidence of the benefit with ablative radiotherapy in selected patients with oligometastases.…”

Palliative radiation therapy in bladder cancer: a matter of dose, techniques and patients’ selection

“…In the 20-30% of patients who have potentially fatal MIBC, we have to distinguish two categories of patients: those with potentially curable disease but considered too frail to undergo radical treatments (such as radical cystectomy or trimodality treatment), and others with a disease stage too advanced to offer curative treatment. Both populations however, suffer from severe local symptoms from their disease, with hematuria, and dysuria irritative bladder, which possibly require help for the duration of their survival (6).…”