Evaluation of response to gemcitabine plus cisplatin-based chemotherapy using positron emission computed tomography for metastatic bladder cancer

BACKGROUND The purpose of the present study was to examine retrospectively the contribution of 18Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography computed tomography (18FDG-PET/CT) to the evaluation of response to first-line gemcitabine plus cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with metastatic bladder cancer. AIM To evaluate the response to Gemcitabine plus Cisplatin -based chemotherapy using 18FDG-PET/CT imaging in patients with metastatic bladder cancer. METHODS Between July 2007 and April 2019, 79 patients underwent 18FDG-PET/CT imaging with the diagnosis of Metastatic Bladder Carcinoma (M-BCa). A total of 42 patients (38 male, 4 female) were included in the study, and all had been administered Gemcitabine plus Cisplatin-based chemotherapy. After completion of the therapy, the patients underwent a repeat 18FDG-PET/CT scan and the results were compared with the PET/CT findings before chemotherapy according to European Organisation for the Research and treatment of cancer criteria. Mean age was 66.1 years and standard deviation was 10.7 years (range: 41–84 years). RESULTS Of the patients, seven (16.6%) were in complete remission, 17 (40.5%) were in partial remission, six (14.3%) had a stable disease, and 12 (28.6%) had a progressive disease. The overall response rate was 57.1 percent. CONCLUSION 18FDG-PET/CT can be considered as a successful imaging tool in evaluating response to first-line chemotherapy for metastatic bladder cancer. Anatomical and functional data obtained from PET/CT scans may be useful in the planning of secondline and thirdline chemotherapy.