Rd. Mills et al., Pelvic lymph node metastases from bladder cancer: Outcome in 83 patients after radical cystectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy, J UROL, 166(1), 2001, pp. 19-23
Purpose: We evaluate the outcome in patients with node positive bladder can
cer with particular reference to the effect of individual characteristics o
f positive nodes on survival after meticulous pelvic lymphadenectomy at cys
tectomy.
Materials and Methods: This prospective analysis contains 452 cases of blad
der cancer staged preoperatively as N0M0, managed with pelvic lymphadenecto
my and cystectomy between 1984 and 1997. A total of 83 (18%) patients with
histologically confirmed node positive disease are included in our study.
Results: The median overall survival of patients with positive nodes was 20
months. Median 5-year survival was 29%. Patients who survived were found w
ith positive nodes at each site in the pelvis. The median survival of 57 pa
tients with less than 5 positive nodes was 27 months, compared with 15 mont
hs for 26 with 5 nodes or more (log-rank test p = 0.0027). Median survival
of 26 patients with no lymph node capsule perforation was 93 months, compar
ed with 16 months for 57 with capsule perforation (p = 0.0004). The median
survival of 18 patients with a maximum diameter of lymph node metastasis up
to 0.5 cm. was 64 months, compared with 16 months for 65 with nodal metast
asis greater than 0.5 cm. (p = 0.024). Contralateral positive nodes were fo
und in 16 of 39 (41%) patients with unilateral bladder cancer.
Conclusions: Long-term survival is possible with node positive bladder canc
er. Those patients with few as well as smaller and, therefore, unsuspected
nodal metastases, and those without lymph node capsule perforation have the
best results after removal of pelvic metastatic nodal disease. Because pat
ients who survive may be found regardless of the site of pelvic nodal metas
tases, meticulous bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy is warranted in all pati
ents at the time of attempted curative cystectomy for bladder cancer, parti
cularly if there is no clinical evidence of nodal involvement.