Utility and Safety of Repeat Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor Performed at a Tertiary Center

Abstract

Introduction Repeat transurethral resection of bladder tumor (ReTURBT) has become an integral part of the management of superficial bladder cancers at various urological centers around the world. Early detection of residual disease, leading to upstaging in some cases, leads to decrease in recurrence rates. Our study aimed to analyze the impact of ReTURBT in detecting residual tumor and tumor recurrences, hence validating the benefits of procedure as a routine. Materials and Methods A total of 152 patients with superficial bladder cancer who were treated at Cancer Institute (WIA) between January 2005 and December 2013 were analyzed and followed up for 3 years. Results Of the 152 cases who underwent ReTURBT, 47 patients had residue in the final histopathology of the resected specimen (31%). The overall rate of upstaging to muscle-invasive disease following ReTURBT was 3.3%. The mean follow-up period was 47.13 months, during which 25 (17%) out of 147 patients who underwent ReTURBT had disease recurrence. There was no additional morbidity due to ReTURBT as compared with the primary procedure. Conclusion ReTURBT is an effective procedure in treating recurrent tumors also as long as they remain superficial. The procedure when performed with utmost care in experienced hands remains a very safe procedure to be followed as a routine and standard.

Keywords

• nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer
• recurrence
• transurethral resection of bladder tumor