From 1967 to 1985, 246 cystectomies for treatment of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder were performed. Perioperative mortality decreased from 15% in the early years to 0% in 1985. Preoperative radiotherapy was not given. Patients who underwent cystectomy immediately following the diagnosis of invasive bladder carcinoma had a significantly better prognosis than those having cystectomy after recurrence of a transurethrally resected invasive carcinoma in spite of identical G and T criteria. A total of 26 patients who were cystectomized because of tumor recurrence after definitive radiotherapy (salvage cystectomy) represented the group with the worst prognosis: they had a 5-year survival rate of less than 10%. It is concluded from these results that recurrence of an infiltrating bladder tumor is an indication of poor prognosis. Early cystectomy after diagnosis of tumor infiltration can improve survival rates. Transurethral resection without adjuvant therapy cannot be regarded as reliable curative treatment of bladder cancer infiltrating the lamina propria (pTl). Modern surgical techniques of continent urinary diversion or total bladder replacement combined with sparing of the pelvic nerves (and thus preservation of potency) reinforce our view that radical cystoprostatectomy need no longer be regarded as mutilating surgery.