Carbon ion radiotherapy for bladder cancer: A case report

BACKGROUND: Radical cystectomy is considered the first choice for the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer. However, for some patients who have lost the indications for surgery, external beam radiotherapy is a non-invasive and effective treatment. CASE SUMMARY: A 76-year-old patient with bladder cancer who had serious comorbidities and could not tolerate surgery or chemotherapy came to the Wuwei Heavy Ion Center. He received carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) with a whole-bladder dose of 44 GyE and tumor boost of 20 GyE. When he finished CIRT, his bladder cancer-related hematuria completely disappeared, and computed tomography examination showed that the tumor had obviously decreased in size. At the 3-mo follow-up, the tumor disappeared, and there were no acute or late adverse events. CIRT was well tolerated in this patient. CONCLUSION: CIRT may allow for avoiding resection and was well tolerated with curative outcomes.