Current Role of Radiation Therapy for Bladder Cancer

Radiation therapy continues to expand its role in the management of bladder cancer. Utilization of chemoradiation as part of the management increases the likelihood of keeping the native bladder and has a positive impact on quality of life, without compromising cure. There remains sustained interest in the concept of bladder conservation as an organ-sparing approach that is potentially equivalent to radical cystectomy as regards disease-specific survival. In addition, radiation therapy may play a meaningful role in the management of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer by reducing the likelihood of local recurrence and preventing or delaying cystectomy. Recently, techniques of radiation therapy have improved considerably and the role of radiation therapy has subsequently expanded and led to better outcomes, as has a better understanding of the biology of fractionation and tumor response.