Multidisciplinary management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Abstract

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer is an aggressive disease with high risk of progression or death if left untreated. Unlike many other cancers, there has been no significant improvement in survival rates for bladder cancer for three decades. To improve survival and quality of life, a multidisciplinary approach is essential. In this thesis, several aspects of the multidisciplinary management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer were studied, with a focus on neoadjuvant chemotherapy, staging by FDG-PET/CT, and organ-preserving therapies.