To determine the adaption of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and especially underlying reasons for potential low adherence to guidelines.
We conducted a non-validated survey amongst 336 urologic departments in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. RedCap questionnaires were electronically distributed and included 23 items concerning the general NAC administration standards and guideline compliance in patient counselling regarding actual treatment.
Return rate of the questionnaire was 19.1% (63/336). Although 45 departments (71.4%) claim to perform NAC as standard-of-care, only 49% of eligible patients actually receive NAC. An advanced disease stage (≥cT3) and a high tumor-volume were mentioned to support application of NAC, whereas 35% of responders worry a deterioration of patients' preoperative status due to NAC. Furthermore, 26.7% of respondents are concerned about the low extent of survival benefit.
Application of NAC in eligible MIBC-patients in Germany, Austria and Switzerland remains low. Although the majority of urologic departments discusses NAC and acknowledges the need for intensified treatment in advanced disease stages, not all eligible patients will actually receive NAC before radical cystectomy.
Urologia internationalis. 2024 Jan 19 [Epub ahead of print]
Moritz J Reike, Alina Reicherz, Karl H Tully, Henning Bahlburg, Moritz Maas, Peter Bach, Niklas Klümper, Markus Eckstein, Arndt Hartmann, Johannes Breyer, Philipp Erben, Christian Bolenz, Joachim Noldus, Sebastian Berg, Florian Roghmann