Feasibility and efficacy of cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy for muscle invasive bladder cancer in older patients: A retrospective French GETUG study.

Abstract

735 Background: Cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and radical cystectomy is the gold standard in localized muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), for fit patients. However, NAC is less prescribed in older patients, mainly due to safety concerns. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of NAC for patients aged ≥ 75. Methods: We retrospectively included older patients, from 14 French GETUG centers. All patients had received at least one cycle of cisplatin-based NAC for localized MIBC, between 2010 and 2022. Primary outcome was NAC feasibility evaluated as the rate of patients that underwent optimal treatment, defined as at least 4 cycles of chemotherapy followed with local treatment (surgery or chemoradiotherapy). Secondary outcomes were NAC safety and efficacy. Results: 156 pts were included. Median age was 77 (from 75 to 96), with 20% aged ≥ 80. Patients were in good general condition: 54% were PS 0, with a median serum albumin level of 39 g/L, and 86% had a creatinine clearance ≥ 60 ml/min. 108 (69%) had a cT2N0 MIBC. 75 (48%) received dose dense MVAC (ddMVAC), 80 (51%) received gemcitabine-cisplatin (GC) and one patient received MVAC. 96 (62%) received an optimal treatment. 50 patients (32%) prematurely stopped NAC, due to death (3 pts, 2 from unknown causes), progressive disease (4), infection (3), toxicity (34 patients) mainly renal and hematological ones. Among them, 38 (76%) underwent local treatment. Among the 112 patients that underwent cystectomy, pathological complete response (pCR) was significantly more frequent when they received ≥ 4 cycles (36/78 = 46% versus 5/34 = 15%, p = 0.002). Median follow up from diagnosis was 28 months, with 97 patients (62%) that were still alive at the end of follow-up. Median disease-free survival was 3 years and 3 months. 2-years overall survival (OS) was 72%; 5-years OS was 56%. Conclusions: These data suggest that NAC for MIBC is feasible in selected older patients, even if toxicity was the main reason for cisplatin-based regimen discontinuation. Older patients who received optimal treatment were more often in pCR. OS in the this cohort of older patients was very similar to the results published in younger patients.