Survival up to 5–15 years in young women following genital sparing radical cystectomy and neobladder: oncological outcome and quality of life. Single–surgeon and single–institution experience

INTRODUCTION: This is an observational retrospective study utilising long term patient follow–up for 15 years to determine the survival and quality of life in women (age range 20–54 years) after having been treated for carcinoma of the bladder by radical cystectomy with preservation of genital organs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 13 female patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder treated with genital sparing radical cystectomy during the period of 1995 until 2006. They had orthotopic ileal neobladder. Follow–up included recurrence–free survival, metastases–free survival, overall survival, continence, and sexual function. RESULTS: Genital sparing cystectomy was done in 13 women. Seven women were between the ages of 20–37, and 6 women were aged 38–54. Overall survival of 10–15 years was 61.53%, survival from 5 to 9 years was 38.46%. The procedure was done in 9 women with a muscle–invasive tumor of stage T2– T3a. Non–muscle invasive T1 tumor was present in four patients. Quality of life was assessed by continence, which was good in 10/13 patients. Three women needed CIC. Sexual function was tested by female sexual function index >20–30 and was scored at 84.61%. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides evidence of safety and efficacy of radical cystectomy with sparing of genital organs in women aged 20 to 54 with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Oncological outcome for 5–15 years was good; continence and sexual function were good. This procedure should be considered when surgical approach appears to be feasible. The limitation of our findings is the small sample size of this case series.