Exploring patients' experience and perception of being diagnosed with bladder cancer: a mixed-methods approach

Identifying the supportive care needs of people affected by non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: An integrative systematic review

PURPOSE

To understand supportive care needs among people with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

METHODS

An integrative systematic review was reported using the Preformed Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Seven electronic databases were searched for relevant studies, including all quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies, irrespective of research design. The review process was managed by Covidence systematic review software. Two reviewer authors independently performed data extraction using eligibility criteria. Quality appraisal was conducted, and a narrative synthesis was performed.

RESULTS

A total of 1129 articles were screened, of which 21 studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings revealed that the frequency of supportive care needs reported by NMIBC participants included psychological/emotional (16/21:76%), physical (16/21:76%), practical (8/21:38%), interpersonal/intimacy (7/21:33%), family-related (7/21:33%), health system/information (5/21:23%), social (4/21:19%), patient-clinician communication (3/21:14%), spiritual (1/21:5%) and daily needs (1/21:5%).

CONCLUSION

People affected by NMIBC experience anxiety, depression, uncertainty, and fear of recurrence. The physical symptoms reported included urinary issues, pain, sleeping disorders and fatigue. These supportive care needs persist throughout the participants' treatment trajectory and can impact their quality of life.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

Identifying supportive care needs within the NMIBC population will help inform future interventions to provide patient-centred care to promote optimal well-being and self-efficacy for people diagnosed with NMIBC.

The patient experience with localized upper tract urothelial cancer

OBJECTIVE

To understand the experiences of patients with low-grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma via in-depth interviews covering the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.

METHODS

A qualitative study was performed using 60 minutes interviews with patients diagnosed with low-grade UTUC. The participants received either endoscopic treatment (ET), radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) or intracavity mitomycin gel for the pyelocaliceal system. Interviews were conducted by trained interviewers via telephone using a semi-structured questionnaire. The raw interviews were coded into discrete phrases that were grouped together based on similarity of meaning. Inductive data analysis methodology was used. Themes were identified and refined to overarching themes striving to encompass the original meaning and intent of participant's words.

RESULTS

Twenty individuals were enrolled; 6 were treated with ET, 8 were treated with a RNU, and 6 were treated with intracavitary mitomycin gel. The median age was 74 years (52-88) and half of participants were women. Most endorsed good, very good, or excellent health. Four unique themes were identified: 1. Misunderstandings of the nature of disease; 2. Importance of physical symptoms during treatment as a proxy for recovery; 3. Competing desires for kidney preservation versus expeditious treatment; and 4. Trust in doctors and minimal perceived shared decision-making.

CONCLUSIONS

Low grade UTUC is a disease with a diverse clinical presentation and an evolving landscape of available treatments. This study provides insight into patients' perspective and can help guide counseling and treatment selection.

'I Had It. I Don't Think I Have It…But I Do Feel It Will Come Back Somewhere': A Qualitative Investigation of the Experience of People With Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Very little is known about the impact of living with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). NMIBC patients' experiences of their illness-in terms of their perceptions, coping strategies and psychological wellbeing-were explored. This study describes an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of individuals' accounts of living with NMIBC while on routine surveillance for cancer recurrence. Ten individuals took part in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Three superordinate themes were derived from the data. The first theme, Being Diagnosed and Treated for NMIBC, concerned the observation that participants considered the physical implications, timeline and practicalities of their illness of primary importance and focused less on its psychological aspects. The second theme, Grappling with the Illness, outlined the impact of the doctor-patient relationship. The final theme, 'I don't treat it as a problem. I treat it as an issue', delineated how participants managed difficult emotions in the context of the illness. Findings from this study demonstrated that participants generally found effective ways to cope with their illness and experience of ongoing surveillance, though delay of emotional responses was common. Clinical implications for healthcare professionals are outlined including the importance of high-quality communication with the urology team.

Intermediate and high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: an overview of epidemiology, burden, and unmet needs

Bladder cancer ranks among the most common cancers globally. At diagnosis, 75% of patients have non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Patients with low-risk NMIBC have a good prognosis, but recurrence and progression rates remain high in intermediate- and high-risk NMIBC, despite the decades-long availability of effective treatments for NMIBC such as intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). The present review provides an overview of NMIBC, including its burden and treatment options, and then reviews aspects that counteract the successful treatment of NMIBC, referred to as unmet treatment needs. The scale and reasons for each unmet need are described based on a comprehensive review of the literature, including insufficient adherence to treatment guidelines by physicians because of insufficient knowledge, training, or access to certain therapy options. Low rates of lifestyle changes and treatment completion by patients, due to BCG shortages or toxicities and adverse events as well as their impact on social activities, represent additional areas of potential improvement. Highly heterogeneous evidence for the effectiveness and safety of some treatments limits the comparability of results across studies. As a result, efforts are underway to standardize treatment schedules for BCG, but intravesical chemotherapy schedules remain unstandardized. In addition, risk-scoring models often perform unsatisfactorily due to significant differences between derivation and real-world cohorts. Reporting in clinical trials suffers from a lack of consistent outcomes reporting in bladder cancer clinical trials, paired with an under-representation of racial and ethnic minorities in many trials.

Evaluating the cost-utility of intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin versus radical cystectomy in patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the UK

AIMS

Approximately 75% of bladder cancer (BC) cases present as non-muscle-invasive BC (NMIBC). In patients with high-risk NMIBC, the mainstay treatment is intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), with immediate radical cystectomy (RC) as an alternative treatment option. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cost-utility of BCG versus RC in patients with high-risk NMIBC from the UK healthcare payer perspective.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A six-state Markov model was developed that covered controlled disease, recurrence, progression to muscle-invasive BC, metastatic disease, and death. The model included adverse events of BCG and RC and monitoring and palliative care. Drug costs were obtained from the British National Formulary. Intravesical delivery, RC, and monitoring costs were sourced from the National Tariff Payment System and the literature. Utility data were obtained from the literature. Analyses were run over a 30-year time horizon, with future costs and effects discounted at 3.5% per annum. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.

RESULTS

The base case analysis comparing BCG with RC showed that BCG would increase life expectancy by 0.88 years versus RC, from 7.74 to 8.62 years. BCG resulted in an increase of 0.76 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) versus RC, from 5.63 to 6.39 QALYs. Patients incurred lower lifetime costs if treated with BCG (£47,753) than with RC (£64,264). Cost savings were mainly driven by the lower cost of BCG versus RC, and palliative care costs. Sensitivity analyses showed that results were robust to assumptions.

LIMITATIONS

The evidence base informing efficacy estimates of BCG is heterogeneous as different BCG administration schedules were reported in the literature, while incidence and cost data on some BCG-associated adverse events were sparse.

CONCLUSIONS

Intravesical BCG led to increased QALYs and reduced costs versus RC for patients with high-risk NMIBC from the UK healthcare payer perspective.

Ex vivo near-infrared targeted imaging of human bladder carcinoma by ICG-anti-CD47

Objective

The low detection rate of early-stage and small tumors remains a clinical challenge. A solution to this unmet need is urgently warranted for the accurate diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer (BC). This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of CD47 as a target for optical molecular imaging of human BC and conduct preliminary ex vivo imaging experiments.

Method

Using indocyanine green (ICG) and a CD47 antibody (anti-CD47), we synthesized a new targeted fluorescent probe ICG-anti-CD47. A total of 25 patients undergoing radical cystectomy were prospectively included in ex vivo imaging experiments. Following surgery, the freshly isolated bladder specimens were incubated with ICG-anti-CD47, and images were captured under white light and near-infrared (NIR) light. Standard histopathologic evaluation was performed, and findings were correlated with those of CD47-targeted NIR molecular imaging.

Results

Based on the ex vivo imaging experiments, 23 and 2 patients were pathologically diagnosed with bladder urothelial carcinoma and bladder squamous cell carcinoma, respectively. There were no adverse effects of ICG-anti-CD47 on the histological structure of the tumor and normal uroepithelium. In the NIR grayscale images, the mean fluorescence intensity of the tumor tissue was significantly higher than that of the adjacent normal background tissue, which markedly improved tumor visualization.

Conclusion

Anti-CD47-targeted NIR molecular imaging may be a feasible and powerful strategy for the accurate diagnosis of BC. Nevertheless, larger-scale randomized trials are warranted to verify the present findings.

Willingness to Pay and Preferences Among Patients Undergoing Cystoscopies: Results from a Large Survey-Based Study in Spain

Purpose

Cystoscopy procedures can cause distress among patients. Patient perspectives on health services are essential inputs in decision-making. This study investigated the patient preferences in Spain regarding single-use cystoscopes (SUC) compared to reusable cystoscopes and their willingness to pay (WTP) for cystoscopy procedures.

Patients and Methods

Between May and June 2021, an anonymous survey was distributed to Spanish patients who had previously undergone a cystoscopy. The survey included patient preference measures on reusable cystoscopes compared to SUCs and a discrete choice experiment. The survey was distributed through a human data science company (IQVIA), collected using an online survey tool (QuestionPro^®), and analyzed using Stata/MP, StataCorp.

Results

Of 300 respondents, 148 (49.33%) were female and 150 (50%) were male, and mainly between 18–49 years (247, 82.33%). Most (265, 88%) preferred to have their procedure performed with a SUC rather than a reusable cystoscope. Among these patients, 215 (80%) could imagine asking their doctor to use a SUC. A total of 231 (77%) respondents indicated an increased level of concern about the risk of exposure to contamination related to their cystoscopy following the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients would pay 62 EUR to have their initial consultation and cystoscopy procedure on the same day (p < 0.001), 59 EUR to reduce the environmental impact, and 57 EUR to reduce the risk of contamination (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Patients prefer to undergo cystoscopy using an SUC on the same day as their initial consultation. The increased contamination concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic and WTP to reduce the risk of cystoscope contamination may explain patients’ preferences for SUCs. The most important attributes related to their cystoscopy procedure are the ability to have their procedure performed on the same day as their initial consultation, the reduction of the environmental impact, and the reduction of the contamination risk.

Photodynamic versus white-light-guided resection of first-diagnosis non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: PHOTO RCT

BACKGROUND

Around 7500 people are diagnosed with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the UK annually. Recurrence following transurethral resection of bladder tumour is common, and the intensive monitoring schedule required after initial treatment has associated costs for patients and the NHS. In photodynamic diagnosis, before transurethral resection of bladder tumour, a photosensitiser that is preferentially absorbed by tumour cells is instilled intravesically. Transurethral resection of bladder tumour is then conducted under blue light, causing the photosensitiser to fluoresce. Photodynamic diagnosis-guided transurethral resection of bladder tumour offers better diagnostic accuracy than standard white-light-guided transurethral resection of bladder tumour, potentially reducing the chance of subsequent recurrence.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of photodynamic diagnosis-guided transurethral resection of bladder tumour.

DESIGN

This was a multicentre, pragmatic, open-label, parallel-group, non-masked, superiority randomised controlled trial. Allocation was by remote web-based service, using a 1 : 1 ratio and a minimisation algorithm balanced by centre and sex.

SETTING

The setting was 22 NHS hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients aged ≥ 16 years with a suspected first diagnosis of high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, no contraindications to photodynamic diagnosis and written informed consent were eligible.

INTERVENTIONS

Photodynamic diagnosis-guided transurethral resection of bladder tumour and standard white-light cystoscopy transurethral resection of bladder tumour.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary clinical outcome measure was the time to recurrence from the date of randomisation to the date of pathologically proven first recurrence (or intercurrent bladder cancer death). The primary health economic outcome was the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained at 3 years.

RESULTS

We enrolled 538 participants from 22 UK hospitals between 11 November 2014 and 6 February 2018. Of these, 269 were allocated to photodynamic diagnosis and 269 were allocated to white light. A total of 112 participants were excluded from the analysis because of ineligibility (n = 5), lack of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer diagnosis following transurethral resection of bladder tumour (n = 89) or early cystectomy (n = 18). In total, 209 photodynamic diagnosis and 217 white-light participants were included in the clinical end-point analysis population. All randomised participants were included in the cost-effectiveness analysis. Over a median follow-up period of 21 months for the photodynamic diagnosis group and 22 months for the white-light group, there were 86 recurrences (3-year recurrence-free survival rate 57.8%, 95% confidence interval 50.7% to 64.2%) in the photodynamic diagnosis group and 84 recurrences (3-year recurrence-free survival rate 61.6%, 95% confidence interval 54.7% to 67.8%) in the white-light group (hazard ratio 0.94, 95% confidence interval 0.69 to 1.28; p = 0.70). Adverse event frequency was low and similar in both groups [12 (5.7%) in the photodynamic diagnosis group vs. 12 (5.5%) in the white-light group]. At 3 years, the total cost was £12,881 for photodynamic diagnosis-guided transurethral resection of bladder tumour and £12,005 for white light. There was no evidence of differences in the use of health services or total cost at 3 years. At 3 years, the quality-adjusted life-years gain was 2.094 in the photodynamic diagnosis transurethral resection of bladder tumour group and 2.087 in the white light group. The probability that photodynamic diagnosis-guided transurethral resection of bladder tumour was cost-effective was never > 30% over the range of society's cost-effectiveness thresholds.

LIMITATIONS

Fewer patients than anticipated were correctly diagnosed with intermediate- to high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer before transurethral resection of bladder tumour and the ratio of intermediate- to high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer was higher than expected, reducing the number of observed recurrences and the statistical power.

CONCLUSIONS

Photodynamic diagnosis-guided transurethral resection of bladder tumour did not reduce recurrences, nor was it likely to be cost-effective compared with white light at 3 years. Photodynamic diagnosis-guided transurethral resection of bladder tumour is not supported in the management of primary intermediate- to high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

FUTURE WORK

Further work should include the modelling of appropriate surveillance schedules and exploring predictive and prognostic biomarkers.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This trial is registered as ISRCTN84013636.

FUNDING

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research ( NIHR ) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 26, No. 40. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

A Randomized Trial of PHOTOdynamic Surgery in Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

BACKGROUND: Recurrence of non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is common after transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). Photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) provides better diagnostic accuracy and more complete tumor resection and may reduce recurrence. However, there is limited evidence on the longer-term clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of PDD-guided resection. METHODS: In this pragmatic, open-label, parallel-group randomized trial conducted in 22 U.K. National Health Service hospitals, we recruited participants with a suspected first diagnosis of NMIBC at intermediate or high risk for recurrence on the basis of routine visual assessment before being listed for TURBT. Participants were assigned (1:1) to PDD-guided TURBT or to standard white light (WL)–guided TURBT. The primary clinical outcome was time to recurrence at 3 years of follow-up, analyzed by modified intention to treat. RESULTS: A total of 538 participants were enrolled (269 in each group), and 112 participants without histologic confirmation of NMIBC or who had had cystectomy were excluded. After 44 months’ median follow-up, 86 of 209 in the PDD group and 84 of 217 in the WL group had recurrences. The hazard ratio for recurrence was 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69 to 1.28; P=0.70). Three-year recurrence-free rates were 57.8% (95% CI, 50.7 to 64.2) and 61.6% (95% CI, 54.7 to 67.8) in the PDD and WL groups, respectively, with an absolute difference of −3.8 percentage points (95% CI, −13.37 to 5.59) favoring PDD. Adverse events occurred in less than 2% of participants, and rates were similar in both groups, as was health-related quality of life. PDD-guided TURBT was £876 (95% CI, −766 to 2518; P=0.591) more costly than WL-guided TURBT over a 3-year follow-up, with no evidence of a difference in quality-adjusted life years (−0.007; 95% CI, −0.133 to 0.119; P=0.444). CONCLUSIONS: PDD-guided TURBT did not reduce recurrence rates, nor was it cost-effective compared with WL at 3 years. (Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Health Technology Assessment program; ISRCTN number, ISRCTN84013636.)

CD47-targeted optical molecular imaging and near-infrared photoimmunotherapy in the detection and treatment of bladder cancer

Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) followed by intravesical therapy remains the most effective strategy for the management of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer worldwide. TURBT has two purposes: to remove all visible tumors and to obtain tumor specimens for histopathological analysis. However, the detection of flat and small malignant lesions under white-light cystoscopy is extremely challenging, and residual lesions are still the main reason for the high recurrence rate of bladder cancer. We hypothesized that visual enhancement of malignant lesions using targeted optical molecular imaging could potentially highlight residual tumors in the bladder during surgery, and near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) could kill exfoliated cancer cells and residual tumors. A mouse model of complete or partial bladder tumor resection was established under the guidance of optical molecular imaging mediated by indocyanine green and anti-CD47-Alexa Fluor 790, respectively. Once the tumor recurred, mouse model received repeated CD47-targeted NIR-PIT. After complete resection, there was no tumor recurrence. Furthermore, the growth rate of recurrent tumor decreased significantly after repeated NIR-PIT. Therefore, CD47-targeted optical molecular imaging can potentially assist urologists to detect and remove all tumors, and repeated NIR-PIT shows the potential to reduce tumor recurrence rates and inhibit the growth of recurrent tumor.

Patient participation in treatment decision-making of prostate cancer: a qualitative study

PURPOSE

Despite increasing development in decision-making strategies for patients with prostate cancer, little is known about patients' individual experience and perception throughout the decision-making process. The objective of this study was to explore patients' experiences and perceptions towards treatment decision-making.

METHODS

We conducted a qualitative interview study with 30 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. We transcribed interviews verbatim and inductively identified codes. Thematic analysis was used to develop and refine a codebook that aided in the identification of themes.

RESULTS

Three key themes and nine subthemes emerged, which were as follows: I. less involved in treatment decision-making, (i) passive decisional control, (ii) lack of medical knowledge, and (iii) domination by family members; II. the right to be informed of the disease condition and to choose treatment options, (i) sociocultural influences, (ii) patients believe that they should know the true facts of the disease, and (iii) patient autonomy during treatment; and III. future consideration and advance care planning, (i) fewer future concerns, (ii) advance care planning is poorly understood, and (iii) acceptance of advance care planning.

CONCLUSION

The study results show that patients with prostate cancer have a diversity of needs to cultivate their ability to make treatment decisions, and healthcare professionals should empower patients, as well as provide decision aids or decision support for patients.

“Picture this”- Patients’ Drawings of Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Novel Method to Help Understand How Patients Perceive Their Condition

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data regarding patient experiences of living with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). OBJECTIVES: To investigate patients’ beliefs about NMIBC utilising both a well-established verbal/linguistic method, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ) in addition to a novel visual/perceptual method, that is, asking patients to draw their bladder as it is now and as they perceive it will be in the future. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of patients with NMIBC. Patients completed: (i) the B-IPQ, and (ii) 2 drawings of their bladder: as they perceived it currently and as they perceived it would look in 5 years’ time. RESULTS: A total of 118 patients completed the B-IPQ, of which 96 produced 2 bladder drawings. Forty-seven per cent of patients depicted no change in their bladder across time, 35% depicted improvements, while 18% drew their NMIBC as deteriorating between the two time points. Patients who drew their NMIBC worsening over time reported significantly stronger beliefs in the severity of current consequences from their NMIBC (F(2,94) = 9.07, p < 0.001, m = 5.68, 95% CI 4.38–6.88) and greater current concerns about their NMIBC (F(2,94) = 6.17, p < 0.01, m = 7.06, 95% CI 5.47–8.66). This was unrelated to cancer grade, cancer stage, treatment or demographic variables. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to explore beliefs about NMIBC in a sample of patients with NMIBC attending routine clinics using both a well-established and a novel method of assessing patients’ perceptions. Results highlight the usefulness of a simple non-verbal technique, in identifying patients’ concerns about the condition. Almost one fifth of patients with NMIBC may experience significant concerns about the worsening of their condition, which appear to be independent of demographic, histopathological, and treatment related variables. Further exploration of the psychological concerns of individuals with NMIBC is required in order to appropriately plan for needs led multidisciplinary approach in their care.

En Bloc Tumor Resection, Optical Molecular Imaging, and the Potential Synergy of the Combination of the Two Techniques in Bladder Cancer

Although transurethral resection of bladder tumor is the golden standard for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, this surgical procedure still has some serious drawbacks. For example, piecemeal resection of tumor tissue results in exfoliated tumor cells dissemination and implantation, and fragmented tumor specimens make it difficult for pathologists to accurately assess the pathological stage and histologic grade. En bloc tumor resection follows the basic principle of oncological surgery and provides an intact tumor specimen containing detrusor muscle for pathologists to make accurate histopathological assessment. However, there is no robust clinical evidence that en bloc tumor resection is superior to conventional resection in terms of oncological outcomes. Considering the high recurrence rate, small or occult tumor lesions may be overlooked and incomplete tumor resection may occur during white light cystoscopy-assisted transurethral resection. Molecular fluorescent tracers have the ability to bind tumor cells with high sensitivity and specificity. Optical molecular imaging mediated by it can detect small or occult malignant lesions while minimizing the occurrence of false-positive results. Meanwhile, optical molecular imaging can provide dynamic and real-time image guidance in the surgical procedure, which helps urologists to accurately determine the boundary and depth of tumor invasion, so as to perform complete and high-quality transurethral tumor resection. Integrating the advantages of these two technologies, optical molecular imaging-assisted en bloc tumor resection shows the potential to improve the positive detection rate of small or occult tumor lesions and the quality of transurethral resection, resulting in high recurrence-free and progression-free survival rates.

Overnight Continuous Saline Bladder Irrigation After En Bloc Resection of Bladder Tumor Does Not Improve Oncological Outcomes in Patients Who Have Received Intravesical Chemotherapy

Objective

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of overnight continuous saline bladder irrigation (CSBI) for patients who have received thulium laser en bloc resection of bladder tumor (TmLRBT) combined with immediate intravesical chemotherapy previously.

Methods

From October 2014 to June 2018, 235 patients with newly diagnosed non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) were included in this retrospective study. All patients received intravesical instillation of pirarubicin immediately after TmLRBT. The patients were divided into two groups according to the duration of postoperative bladder irrigation with normal saline. After immediate intravesical chemotherapy, patients in group 1 received overnight CSBI, while patients in group 2 did not receive overnight CSBI. Data on the time of initial tumor recurrence, recurrence-free survival (RFS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates, and perioperative complications were collected and analyzed.

Results

Of 235 included patients (129 in group 1 and 106 in group 2), the median follow-up periods were 42 and 38 months, respectively. There were no significant differences in patients' baseline characteristics between the two groups. The RFS rates of patients in group 1 were 90.7, 82.7, and 76.8% at the end of the first, third, and fifth years, while the corresponding RFS rates of patients in group 2 were 87.7, 78.9, and 73.3%, respectively. Four patients in group 1 and five patients in group 2 experienced tumor progression. No significant differences between the two groups were observed in the time of initial tumor recurrence, RFS, and PFS rates. Only Grade I complications occurred in the two groups, and no significant difference was reached between the two groups.

Conclusions

For patients with NMIBC who have previously received TmLRBT combined with immediate intravesical chemotherapy, overnight CSBI may not improve oncological outcomes and reduce perioperative complications.

Fluorescent cystoscopy-assisted en bloc transurethral resection versus conventional transurethral resection in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: study protocol of a prospective, open-label, randomized control trial (the FLEBER study)

Background

Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) is an essential procedure both for the treatment and staging of bladder cancer, particularly non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The dissemination of cancer cells during resection and the consequent seeding into the bladder mucosa is the main cause of post-TURBT intravesical recurrence. Although the tumor dissemination is inevitable during conventional TURBT (cTURBT), this drawback can be overcome by tumor resection in one piece with intact surrounding normal tissues, referred to as en bloc resection. We previously described the photodynamic diagnosis (PDD)-assisted en bloc TURBT (EBTUR) technique and its favorable outcomes. Based on our preliminary studies, this randomized controlled trial was designed to evaluate the superiority of PDD-EBTUR to PDD-cTURBT.

Methods

The FLEBER study is a single-center randomized controlled trial in NMIBC patients who require TURBT. The longest diameter of the tumor must be between 6 and 30 mm. A total of 160 eligible patients will be enrolled after screening and randomly allocated to the PDD-EBTUR (experimental) and PDD-cTURBT (control) groups in a 1:1 ratio (80 cases to 80 cases). All patients will be treated using a single, immediate postoperative intravesical chemotherapy with epirubicin. The primary endpoint of this trial is the 2-year recurrence-free survival after surgery in pathologically proven low- or intermediate-risk NMIBC. All patients will be monitored by cystoscopy and urine cytology every 3 months for 2 years. Patient data including adverse events and complications, and data from frequency volume charts, pain scales, and health-related QOL questionnaires will be collected before and after the TURBT at indicated visits.

Discussion

The goal of this trial is to determine the potential benefits of PDD-cTURBT and PDD-EBTUR followed by a single immediate postoperative intravesical chemotherapy in patients with low- or intermediate-risk NMIBC who undergo TURBT. Ultimately, our findings will lead to the development of better interventions and potentially change the standard of care.

Trial registration

This clinical trial was prospectively registered with the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry on 1 August 2020. The reference number is UMIN000041273, and the Ethics Committee of Nara Medical University Approval ID is 2702.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-021-05094-y.

Photodynamic Diagnosis-Assisted En Bloc Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor for Nonmuscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: Short-Term Oncologic and Functional Outcomes

Background: We describe the oncologic and functional outcomes and the surgical technique of the photodynamic diagnosis (PDD)-assisted en bloc transurethral resection of bladder tumor (EBTUR) using a rectangular cutting loop. Methods: We reviewed 40 patients with carcinoma in situ-free nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer undergoing PDD-TURBT. Of 40 patients, 12 underwent photodynamic diagnosis-assisted en bloc transurethral resection of bladder tumor (PDD-EBTUR) and 28 underwent PDD-assisted conventional TURBT (cTURBT). Two groups were matched in terms of clinicopathologic background and did not include patients treated with intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin. The assessment of postoperative quality of life (QoL) was based on patient-reported outcome measure, including the International Prostate Symptom Score, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bladder (FACT-BL), and 8-item Short Form (SF-8^™) questionnaires before and 1 month after TUR. This study was approved by the Ethics commitee and all participants provided informed consent. Results: PDD guidance provided substantial help for circumferent demarcation around the bladder tumor, which precedes tumor dissection. One female patient (12%) treated by PDD-EBTUR had grade II bladder perforation requiring prolonged catheterization. Pathologic assessment of horizontal and vertical margins in resected specimens by PDD-EBTUR revealed that all specimens had muscularis propria, and the rate of en bloc resection was 100%. No patient had intravesical recurrence in the PDD-EBTUR group (median follow-up, 11 months), while two patients in the PDD-cTURBT group had T_a low-grade recurrent tumors (8 months). Postoperatively, scores of daytime frequency and nocturia were increased in both groups. QoL assessment using the FACT-BL and SF-8 revealed that postoperative deterioration of bladder-specific subscale and emotional/mental scores was found in the EBTUR group but not in the cTURBT group. Conclusions: Based on the initial experience on 12 patients, we considered that PDD-EBTUR is an acceptable surgical method. Further experience and research are mandatory to determine whether this technique yields better outcomes and has true clinical advantage.