Muscle-invasive bladder cancer: palliative radiotherapy outcomes

Methods

61 patients were treated with palliative radiotherapy between January 2011 and December 2013. The following data were collected: date of diagnosis, cystoscopy findings, date of referral for radiotherapy, dose and fractionation and acute toxicity, follow-up cystoscopy and date of disease progression (if applicable) and date of death. Data such as WHO performance status and symptoms prior to and following radiotherapy were retrospectively assessed from case notes and clinic letters. Toxicity was assessed using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group scoring system side effects of radiotherapy. Problems collecting data included date of transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT) not documented (6/61), no histology report (28/61), no cystoscopy report (11/61), and 56 patients did not have post-radiotherapy cystoscopy for the following reasons: passed away (26), not documented (23), patient declined (12). Audit standards are outlined in Table 1.