The tumor invades through the lamina propria into the inner half of muscle. Using two hands, the physician can feel the tumor before surgery.
Standard Treatment Surgery via the cytoscope can cure low-grade T2 lesions in highly selected patients. A partial or segmental cystectomy when the bladder is otherwise normal can be curative too. However, staging errors approach 50 percent, and if the T2 tumor is high grade (Grade III) or invades blood vessels it probably should be considered as a higher stage T3 or B2 lesion. In that case, a radical cystectomy is the preferred treatment, as it is for most T2 cancers.
Radiation therapy after complete removal of a T2 tumor with removal of the bladder at first sign of local relapse (salvage cystectomy) is another option that has produced almost similar results.
Five-Year Survival 55 to 70 percent, depending on tumor grade and the accuracy of staging
Investigational
• Combinations of cystectomy or of radiation therapy plus chemotherapy with cisplatin , and more recently
with three and four drug chemotherapy regimens—called CMV, MCV (followed by radiation plus cisplatin)