Organ preservation in bladder cancer: an opportunity for truly personalized treatment

Abstract

Radical treatment of many solid tumours has moved from surgery to multimodal organ preservation strategies combining systemic and local treatments. Trimodality bladder-preserving treatment (TMT) comprises maximal transurethral resection of the bladder tumour followed by radiotherapy and concurrent radiosensitizing treatment, thereby sparing the urinary bladder. From the patient's perspective, the choice of maintaining quality of life without a negative effect on the chances of cure and long-term survival is attractive. In muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), the evidence shows comparable clinical outcomes between patients undergoing radical cystectomy and TMT. Despite this evidence, many patients continue to be offered radical surgery as the standard-of-care treatment. Improvements in radiotherapy techniques with adaptive radiotherapy and advances in imaging translate to increases in the accuracy of treatment delivery and reductions in long-term toxicities. With the advent of novel biomarkers promising improved prediction of treatment response, stratification of patients for different treatments on the basis of tumour biology could soon be a reality. The future of oncological treatment lies in personalized medicine with the combination of technological and biological advances leading to truly bespoke management for patients with MIBC.