Repeated transurethral resection for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

Background: transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) is the first-line treatment fornon-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. We aimed to investigate the effect of probable risk factors on the positive rate of the repeated transurethral resection of bladder tumor performed 4-6 weeks after an initial TURBT in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer in China.

Methods: 134 patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer who underwent repeated TURBT within 4-6 weeks after an initial resection were included in this study. The presence of residual tumor and the correlated risk factors, the complications of the second procedure and the changes of stage and grade between the two different TURBTs were analyzed. As showed in the manuscript, of the total 134 patients, 52 had residual tumor, and upgrading occurred in 41 patients. Patients with high grade, T1 stageand residual tumor with multi-focality at the initial transurethral resection were found to be at higher risk after the second opinion. The progression and recurrence rate was significantly higher in patients with residual tumor in Re TURBT.

Conclusion: a high rate of occurrence of residual tumor was reported in the repeated TURBT. We suggest repeated TURBT is to be recommended in patients with high grade, T1 stage or multi-focality non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.