Objective: To compare the mid-term oncological outcome of laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) with those of open radical cystectomy (ORC).
Methods: From June 2003 to February 2008, 36 LRCs were carried out at our institute for the treatment of bladder cancer. Clinical and oncological data were retrospectively analyzed. A match-pair comparison with an historical series of 34 patients who were submitted to ORC between 1996 and 2003 was carried out.
Results: Median follow-up of the LRC group was 21 months (3-56 months). Pathological stage or grade was similar in the two groups. There was no significant difference between the LRC and ORC groups in terms of 3-year overall (64.2% vs 72.6%, respectively; P = 0.682), cancer-specific (73.0% vs 75.3%, respectively; P = 0.951), and recurrence-free survival (70.5% vs 72.5%, respectively; P = 0.715) rates. In a subgroup analysis according to stage, there was also no significant difference in the 3-year disease-specific survival after LRC or ORC for organ-confined (pT1 and pT2; 85.7% vs 83.9%, respectively; P = 0.256) or extravesical disease (pT3 and pT4; 73.3% vs 63.8%, respectively; P = 0.825).
Conclusion: These findings suggest that LRC provides mid-term oncological outcomes similar to those of ORC in the management of bladder cancer.