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Clinical Status and Rate of Recovery of Blood Lymphocyte Levels after Radiotherapy for Bladder Cancer¹

Department of Urology, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee 38163 [C. O'T.], and Department of General Oncology, Sahlgrenska Hospital, 413.45. Gothenberg, Sweden [B. U.]

Peripheral blood lymphocyte and leukocyte levels were monitored in 34 patients with bladder carcinoma before, during, and up to 5 years after radiotherapy. Radiotherapy in doses 6500 to 8500 rads caused a marked decline in the numbers of circulating leukocytes and particularly lymphocytes. In patients clinically free of disease for 5 years, lymphocyte counts returned to pretherapy levels within 3 years after radiotherapy. In contrast, in patients with recurrent or residual tumors lymphocyte counts failed to reach pretherapy levels within 3 years after therapy. The rate of recovery from radiation-induced lymphopenia was significantly different for patients who were free of disease as compared to those with recurrent or residual tumor (p < 0.05). No correlation was found between posttherapy leukocyte levels and clinical status.

¹ This study was supported by Grant CA20216 from the National Cancer Institute, Department of Health, Education and Welfare and the Jönköping Cancer Fund for Clinical Research.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 6/ 8/78. Accepted 12/ 4/78.