British cancer researchers hailed the findings of a major trial which has shown how to boost radiotherapy treatment for bladder cancer.
Doctors hope the success of the treatment will spare many patients from removal of the bladder.
Findings of the trial, coordinated by Birmingham University, UK, were reported last night to the conference of the American Society for Radiation Oncology in San Diego, California, USA.
During the study patients undergoing radiotherapy also received two anti-cancer drugs, 5FU and Mitomycin C, which doctors hoped would make cancer cells more sensitive to radiotherapy.
After two years some 33 per cent of patients receiving the drug treatment had suffered relapse of disease. This compared with 46 per cent of those who received radiotherapy on its own.
Some 360 patients in the UK took part in the research.
Researcher Professor Nick James said: "When we looked at the risk of potentially lethal invasive disease returning, the improvement was even more marked.
"These trial results are hugely promising, with a significant reduction in the risk of the cancer returning when compared to radiotherapy alone."
He added: "Importantly, both chemotherapies used in this trial are cheap widely available drugs that are commonly used in cancer treatment already. This makes their use much more practical."
Kate Law, of Cancer Research UK, which funded the research, said: "The results of this promising trial offer patients a potentially effective option for those who want to avoid having their bladder removed.
"This is particularly important since eight out of ten cases of bladder cancer occur in patients over 65, meaning many patients are unsuitable for surgery due to their age or other pre-existing health conditions."
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