To evaluate the risk of long-term tumour recurrence and progression in patients with low- and intermediate-risk NMIBCs, which could facilitate optimisation in the follow-up schedules.
A single-institution, retrospective analysis of 704 patients with primary TaG1, TaG2, T1G1, and T1G2 urothelial carcinomas of the bladder (UBS) without concomitant carcinoma in situ (CIS), treated with transurethral resection (TUR) was performed. Response was determined and monitored by routine periodic urine cytology, cystoscopy, and upper tract imaging.
The median follow-up was 64.9 months (maximum, 120 months). Among all of the tumours, 59.3% did not relapse, 36.6% recurred in the bladder during the first 5 years of surveillance, and only 3.6% recurred after 5 years of follow-up. Eight UBCs (1,1 %) progressed in stage, and 87.5% of the progressions occurred during the first 5 years of surveillance. An upper urinary tract recurrence (UTUC) was detected in 2.4% of the patients; 94.1 % were diagnosed within the upper urinary tract during the first 5 years of follow-up and 5.9% occurred after 5 years of surveillance.
G1-2 UBCs recur and progress uncommonly in the long-term period. Although limited by its retrospective nature, the present study provides potential grounds for re-examination of the follow-up schedule for patients with primary NMIBC G1-2 tumours who remain asymptomatic and disease-free for at least 5 years.
Urology. 2016 Oct 17 [Epub ahead of print]
Thomas Golabesk, Joan Palou, Oscar Rodriguez, Ruben Parada, Sergio Skrobot, José Antonio Peña, Humberto Villavicencio
Servicio de Urología, Fundació Puigvert, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain., Servicio de Urología, Fundació Puigvert, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: .