Residual pathologic stage at radical cystectomy and risk stratification of patients with pT2N0 bladder cancer
5076 Background: We hypothesized that in patients with pT2N0 transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder, residual muscle-invasive disease at radical cystectomy (RC) may confer poorer outcomes than residual non-muscle invasive disease due to larger tumor volume and/or biologically more aggressive disease. Patients with high-risk pT2N0 disease may be candidates for trials of adjuvant therapy. Methods: Patients from the BCRC database with pT2N0 stage (N = 208) at TUR (transurethral resection) whose tumors were organ-confined at RC (≤pT2N0) were analyzed. T1N0 patients (N=33) with pT2 disease at RC were also examined in order to include all pT2 patients. None of the patients had received perioperative chemotherapy. The effect of residual pT-stage at RC on outcomes was evaluated in Kaplan-Meier, as well as in univariable and multivariable Cox-regression models. Covariates consisted of age, gender, grade, lymphovascular invasion, concomitant carcinoma-in-situ (CIS), number of lymph nodes removed, and the year of surgery. Results: Among baseline T2N0 patients, residual pT-stage at RC was pT0 in 24 (11.5%), pTa in 9 (4.3%), pCIS in 22 (10.6%), pT1 in 35 (16.8%), and pT2 in 118 patients (56.7%). The median follow-up was 50.1 months. The 5-year recurrence-free survivals of patients with residual pT0/pTa/pCis, pT1 and pT2 were 100%, 85% and 75%, respectively. The 5-year cancer-specific survival rates for the same patient cohorts were 100%, 93%, and 81%, respectively. In multivariable analyses, the effect of residual stage <pT2 at RC achieved independent predictor status for recurrence (adjusted HR 0.20; p = 0.002), as well as for cancer-specific survival (adjusted HR: 0.24; p = 0.02). Initial T1 patients who were pT2 at RC did not have statistically different outcomes compared to initial T2 followed by pT2 at RC. Conclusions: Patients with pT2N0 TCC of the urinary bladder with residual non-muscle invasive disease at RC have significantly better long-term outcomes compared to residual muscle-invasive disease. With further validation, these data may facilitate the risk-stratification of patients with pT2N0 disease and enable the selection of high-risk patients for trials of adjuvant therapy. No significant financial relationships to disclose.