Invasive bladder cancer: tumor configuration, lymphatic invasion and survival.

The pathologic slides of 86 patients who underwent radical cystectomy for invasive (stage T2 plus) bladder carcinoma were reviewed. The tumors were classified according to the demonstration or absence of small vessel invasion and the papillary or solid configuration. Of the 86 patients regional nodal metastases were noted in 24. Eighteen of 48 patients (38 per cent) with small vessel invasion also had nodal metastases compared to 6 of 38 (16 per cent) without small vessel invasion. Of the 62 patients without nodal metastases the crude 5-year survival was 52 per cent for 32 without small vessel involvement compared to 30 per cent for 30 with small vessel involvement.