Squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder: Demographics and outcomes associated with surgery and radiotherapy

Abstract

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesSquamous cell carcinoma of the bladder (SCCB) is a rare disease composing 2%−5% of all bladder cancers with no consensus regarding treatment. The present study aims to analyze the outcomes of established treatments, namely chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, to guide clinical decision‐making for patients with non‐schistosomal SCCB.MethodsPatients with bladder SCC diagnosed between 2000 and 2018 were reviewed utilizing data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Registry (SEER) program.ResultsA total of 5653 patients with SCCB were identified; median survival was 13 months and was significantly decreased in patients treated with chemotherapy or radiation (median survival of 9 or 12 months, respectively). Patients treated with both surgery and radiotherapy saw a decreased 5 year overall survival (OS) of 14%, compared to 35% for those treated with surgery alone (p < 0.01). Furthermore, patients treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy saw a decreased 5 year OS of 20%, compared with 25% for those that received surgery and chemotherapy only (p < 0.01). Finally, surgical intervention provided an increased 5 year OS for patients with locoregional disease only; those with distant disease saw no increase in 5 year OS (p < 0.01).ConclusionsBased on this study's analysis, radical surgery may be the most effective treatment for this disease.