Bladder cancer: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, systematic review and IPD meta-analysis

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in invasive bladder cancer: update of a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data

Is it helpful to give chemotherapy before surgery to people with bladder cancer?

What was this study about?

Around the world, more than 100,000 people are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year. Most of these are men. Sometimes the cancer spreads, but stays within the bladder - this is called invasive bladder cancer. Doctors usually treat this type of bladder cancer with surgery (to try to remove the tumour) and/or radiotherapy.

We did a systematic review and meta analysis of individual patient data, looking at whether it is helpful to give chemotherapy before surgery and/or radiotherapy to people with invasive bladder cancer. It brought together information from similar randomised controlled trials. These trials compared what happened to people who had been given chemotherapy before surgery and/or radiotherapy with those who had only had surgery and/or radiotherapy.

What difference did this study make?

This study found that giving platinum-based chemotherapy before surgery and/or radiotherapy helped people with locally advanced bladder cancer to live longer.

Advanced Bladder Cancer (ABC) Meta-analysis Collaboration. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in invasive bladder cancer: update of a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data. European Urology. 2005;48(2):202-6

Type of study

Meta-analyses

Contact details

MRCCTU.meta-analysis@ucl.ac.uk

Who funded the study?

The Medical Research Council.

When did it take place?

This study was published in 2005. The trials included were carried out up to 2002.

Where did it take place?

The study was carried out by the Medical Research Council in the UK, but brought together results of trials from around the world.

Who was included?

Patients with invasive bladder cancer who took part in randomised controlled trials comparing what happened to people who had been given chemotherapy before surgery and/or radiotherapy with those who had only had surgery and/or radiotherapy. The study brought together 11 trials from all over the world. These trials included over 3000 patients with bladder cancer.