The perioperative and long-term outcomes of patients with variant histology bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy: A propensity score-matched analysis with pure urothelial carcinoma

Objectives: To assess the perioperative and long-term outcomes after open radical cystectomy in patients with histological variants versus pure urothelial carcinoma. Methods: Patients with a variant histology carcinoma of the urinary bladder were matched through a propensity score analysis with those with pure urothelial carcinoma on a 1:3 ratio. The two groups were compared in terms of perioperative and long-term morbidity and mortality. Results: Overall, 148 individuals were included in the present retrospective study (37 with variant histology and 111 with pure urothelial carcinoma). A total of 107 (72.3%) individuals presented at least one perioperative complication based on the Clavien-Dindo classification. This proportion was similar between patients with urothelial versus variant histology carcinoma (P=.22). In the long term, the number of patients with clinically significant incisional hernia requiring surgery [14 (12.7%) vs 3 (8.3%), P=.68], uretero-intestinal/uretero-cutaneous strictures or any other complication related to the applied urinary diversion [15 (13.6%) vs 7 (19.4%), P=.56], as well as the number of patients presenting with septicemia [17 (15.5%) vs 10 (27.8%), P=.16] or with urinary tract obstruction [12 (10.9%) vs 4 (11.1%), P>.99] at follow-up did not differ between urothelial versus variant histology carcinoma. The survival analysis with Kaplan-Meier curves and the univariate Cox regression model suggested that the risk of death from any cause was increased in patients with variant compared to pure urothelial histology (log-rank test=.045, hazard ratio: 1.7, 95% confidence interval: 1.01-2.87, P=.047). Conclusions: Perioperative morbidity and mortality are comparable in patients with variant histology versus pure urothelial carcinoma. (c) 2023 AEU. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.