Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder in Swedish Geriatric Patients: A Population-based Study

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to describe age at presentation, treatment and cancer-specific survival in patients with urinary bladder cancer (UBC) in a populationbased cohort, with special reference to patients 75years or older. Methods:All primary UBC patients with urothelial pathology reported to the Swedish National Registry of Urinary Bladder Cancer (SNRUBC) from 1997 to 2014 were included in the study. Groups were compared regarding age at diagnosis, primary treatment and survival.Results: A substantial proportion of the patients were diagnosed with UBC late in life; 10.7% of the men and 15.0% of the women were aged >85 ys at presentation. In the group of patients with T1 UBC, the patients aged 75ys or older were less often treated with intravesical installation therapy (p<0.001). The patients aged 75ys or older with T1 UBC had an inferior cancer-specific survival (p<0.001) compared to younger patients. Conclusion:In this population-based cohort comprising virtually all patients diagnosed with UBC in Sweden, age 75 ys or older is associated with an inferior proportion of patients who undergo intravesical instillation therapy. Age 75 ys or older is also associated with an inferior cancer-specific survival in urinary bladder cancer.