Mount Sinai Researchers Find Chemotherapy after Bladder Cancer Surgery Improved Survival
Analysis of More Than 5,000 Patients Presented at 2015 Genitourinary Cancer Symposium
Patients that received chemotherapy after bladder cancer surgery demonstrated an approximately 30% lower risk of death than those that underwent surgery alone, according to an analysis to be presented by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai at the 2015 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.
Clinical trials have established the benefit of giving chemotherapy prior to surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) for patients with bladder cancer. However, clinical trials exploring giving chemotherapy after surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy) have been difficult to interpret and many of the trials closed early due to poor accrual without providing an answer.
Lead researcher Matthew Galsky, MD and colleagues used a large database of patients diagnosed with cancer in the United States. Specifically, the study found that patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy after surgical treatment had improved overall survival when compared to patients that received surgical treatment alone with only post-surgical observation.
“Until now, data supporting adjuvant chemotherapy has been mixed,” said lead Dr. Galsky, Associate Professor of Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, and Assistant Professor, Urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Our analysis of actual cases supports the use of chemotherapy after surgery for patients with locally advanced bladder cancer.”
Of the 5,653 patients analyzed, 1,293 patients received adjuvant chemotherapy versus 4,360 patients who received surgery alone.
“Chemotherapy prior to surgery remains the optimal approach for patients with bladder cancer based on the available evidence. However, population-based observational studies may be used to help fill the knowledge void in situations where clinical trials have not yielded definitive evidence. This comparative effectiveness analysis may help inform the care of patients with bladder cancer who have not received chemotherapy prior to surgery,” Dr. Galsky said.
This study was a collaborative effort by researchers at the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai; Departments of Preventative Medicine and Urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; and the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA.
The findings are included in an abstract featured at the 2015 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, which is co-sponsored by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society for Radiation Oncology, and the Society of Urologic Oncology. The Symposium will take place February 26-28 in Orlando.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the nation’s leading integrated academic health systems and one of the largest in the New York metropolitan area. Its comprehensive system includes seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, over 600 research and clinical laboratories, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing. Together, the Health System comprises approximately 48,000 employees, more than 9,000 physicians, and 8,600 nurses.
As a leading learning health system, Mount Sinai combines clinical expertise with scientific discovery to improve patient care while training the next generation of health care and biomedical leaders. The Health System provides care across every stage of life, from prenatal care through geriatrics, while advancing personalized medicine through artificial intelligence, data science, and biomedical research.
Mount Sinai is consistently recognized among the nation’s leading academic health systems for patient care, research, and education. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 1 in New York by Newsweek and No. 5 on the magazine’s World’s Best Hospitals list. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai ranks No. 11 among U.S. medical schools and No. 1 among freestanding medical schools for National Institutes of Health funding, reflecting the strength of its scientific enterprise and leadership in biomedical research.
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