Transurethral resection for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

The perioperative morbidity of local radical transurethral resection performed in 103 patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (T2-T3a) was 20%, their mortality 1%. The three- and five-year survivals were 54% and 36%, respectively. Within 5 years after transurethral resection of primary tumours relapses were encountered in 46%, progression in 33% of the cases. The cause of death was tumour in 29% of the patients, and some other disease in 35%. The full thickness transurethral resection combined with adjuvant treatment may be an alternative to cystectomy in selected cases of T2-T3a bladder cancer.