Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40084367›Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of cancer research2025

Radiotherapy can significantly improve survival outcomes in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer who are unsuitable for cystectomy or chemoradiotherapy.

Nai-Wen Kang, Kuei-Li Lin, Kai-Yuan Lin, Yin-Hsun Feng, Chung-Han Ho, Yi-Chen Chen, Ching-Chieh Yang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in American journal of cancer research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Nai-Wen KangDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center No. 901, Zhonghua Road, Yung Kang District, Tainan, Taiwan.
Kuei-Li LinDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Chi Mei Medical Center No. 901, Zhonghua Road, Yung Kang District, Tainan, Taiwan.
Kai-Yuan LinDepartment of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center No. 901, Zhonghua Road, Yung Kang District, Tainan, Taiwan.
Yin-Hsun FengDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center No. 901, Zhonghua Road, Yung Kang District, Tainan, Taiwan.
Chung-Han HoDepartment of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center No. 901, Zhonghua Road, Yung Kang District, Tainan, Taiwan.
Yi-Chen ChenDepartment of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center No. 901, Zhonghua Road, Yung Kang District, Tainan, Taiwan.
Ching-Chieh YangDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Chi Mei Medical Center No. 901, Zhonghua Road, Yung Kang District, Tainan, Taiwan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Radical cystectomy and bladder preservation therapy are effective for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC); however, many patients over 70 are medically unfit for these options. For such patients, radiotherapy serves as a viable alternative. This study compares survival outcomes of radiotherapy versus supportive care in MIBC patients ineligible for cystectomy or bladder preservation with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Using the Taiwan Cancer Registry and National Health Insurance Research Database (2011-2020), we identified patients with cT2-T4N0-1M0 urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma. Patients were excluded if they had undergone cystectomy or chemotherapy. Patients received either radiotherapy or supportive care, with endpoints of overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression. Among 485 MIBC patients, 301 (62%) received radiotherapy, and 184 (38%) supportive care. After 13.93 months of median follow-up, radiotherapy significantly improved OS and CSS (P<0.001). Mortality rates were 26.9% for radiotherapy and 76.1% for supportive care at one year, and 59.5% vs. 94.0% at three years. OS and CSS benefits were confirmed for stages II-IV (adjusted hazard ratios: 5.47, 3.23, and 12.44, respectively), with T3, T4, N1, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) predicting worse OS. In conclusion, radiotherapy offers superior survival benefits compared to supportive care in MIBC patients who are unfit for cystectomy or chemoradiotherapy. These findings provide valuable insights for clinicians in making treatment decisions, particularly for elderly or medically unfit patients with early or locally advanced-stage MIBC.

Indexed as

comorbiditiesMuscle-invasive bladder cancerradiotherapysupportive caresurvival

Identifiers

PMID40084367
PMCPMC11897634

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.