The role of robotic partial cystectomy in a patient with metastatic primary adenocarcinoma of the bladder

Abstract

Treatment of urachal adenocarcinoma (UA) of the urinary bladder has typically been with radical cystectomy (RC) but more conservative approaches are gaining popularity. Here we present the case of a female patient with metastatic primary bladder UA who was treated with robotic partial cystectomy (RPC) and adjuvant chemotherapy; she is alive with no evidence of disease recurrence or metastatic disease at 5 years. This case provides some of the longest follow-up after RPC to date thereby demonstrating that RPC is a safe and oncologically viable treatment for selected patients even several years after definitive treatment. Patients undergoing RPC benefit from the reduced morbidity associated with this less radical treatment whilst enjoying similarly successful oncological outcomes to RC.