The effect of restaging transurethral resection on recurrence and progression rates in patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer treated with intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin

Purpose: We determined whether restaging resection before initiating induction intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin improves the recurrence-free rate in patients with high risk nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer.

Materials and methods: We retrospectively analyzed data on 1,021 patients treated at our institution with intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin for nonmuscle invasive high risk bladder cancer. All patients underwent a second resection except those already receiving bacillus Calmette-Guérin at the time of initial consultation and those who refused restaging resection. All patients were assessed every 3 to 12 months for a minimum of 5 years. Univariate and multivariate regression was used to identify predictors of 5-year recurrence.

Results: Restaging transurethral resection was performed in 894 patients (87.5%). At restaging resection viable tumor was found in 496 patients (55.5%). At 3 months patients with a single resection had a 44.3% recurrence rate compared to 9.6% in those with restaging resection (p <0.01). On multivariate analysis a single transurethral resection was the only predictor of recurrence at 5 years (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3-3.3, p = 0.01). Time to recurrence in patients with a single resection was significantly shorter than in those with restaging resection (median 22 vs 36 months, p <0.001).

Conclusions: Failure to repeat resection before initiating intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy for high risk nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer significantly increases the risk of recurrence. Therefore, we believe that restaging resection should be performed before initiating bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy in all patients with high risk nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer.