Impact of hospital volume on local recurrence and distant metastasis in bladder cancer patients treated with radical cystectomy in Sweden.

Objective: This study evaluated the impact of hospital volume on local recurrence and distant metastasis in a population-based series of radical cystectomy patients in Sweden.

Material And Methods: All patients who underwent cystectomy for bladder cancer in 1997-2002 in Sweden and were reported to the National Bladder Cancer Registry were included. A high-volume hospital (HVH) was defined as one with ≥10 cystectomies/year and a low-volume hospital (LVH) as one with <10 cystectomies/year.