Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder with Lymph Node-only Metastasis Treated with M-VAC (Methotrexate, Vinblastine, Doxorubicin and Cisplatin) has a Better Survival than GC (Gemcitabine and Cisplatin)

BackgroundPrevious studies demonstrated that GC (gemcitabine and cisplatin) provided a similar survival advantage as M-VAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin) for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB), and had a better safety profile and improved tolerability. However, no clinical clues in selection of first-line chemotherapy regimen were suggested. This study aims to determine whether different sites of metastasis and chemotherapy regimens affected the prognosis of patients with metastatic UCB.MethodsPatients with metastatic UCB were retrospectively reviewed. Data on clinical characteristics, progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), overall response rate (ORR) and complete response (CR) rate were analyzed.ResultsBetween 2000 and 2012, a total of 76 patients with metastatic UCB were enrolled. The median age was 64.5 years and the median follow-up period was 13.6 months. Of these patients, 37 had lymph node-only metastasis (LOM) and 39 had non-LOM. The median survival was significantly longer for UCB patients with LOM. The median PFS was 10.0 months for LOM and 4.3 months for non-LOM (P = < 0.01), while the median OS was 16.9 months for LOM and 10.5 months for non-LOM (P = < 0.01). The ORR and CR rate were both significantly higher in patients with LOM than in those with non-LOM. Subgroup analysis suggested that UCB patients with LOM treated with M-VAC had a better survival. The median PFS was 16.4 months in the M-VAC group and 8.7 months in the GC group (P = 0.08), while the median OS was 23.1 months in the M-VAC group and 16.0 months in the GC group (P = 0.03). The CR rate remained significant.ConclusionsUCB patients with LOM, especially those treated with M-VAC, had better survival outcomes and greater CR rate than those with non-LOM. However, the sample size of this study was quite small and analyzed on a retrospective basis. Further prospective randomized studies are warranted.