Context: Relook transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) improves the diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy of primary TURBT. However, it is still not established as to which category of patients would benefit most from this repeat invasive procedure.
Aims: This prospective interventional study was designed to identify the category of patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer who may benefit from a routine relook procedure.
Setting and design: A total of 52 consecutive patients with biopsy proven non muscle invasive bladder cancer on primary TURBT underwent a relook TURBT between March 2011 and September 2012.
Materials and methods: The incidence of residual tumor and tumor upstaging on relook procedure was correlated with various histopathological (stage, grade, CIS, presence of muscle) and cystoscopic (type and focality of tumor, any apparent field change) parameters on primary TURBT.
Results: Out of the total 52 patients, 23 (44.2%) had a residual tumor on relook TURBT. 12 (23.1%) were upstaged (of these 9 i.e. 17.3% to muscle invasion). While most of the parameters studied showed a positive correlation with incidence of residual tumor and upstaging to muscle invasion, statistical significance (for both) was reached only for tumor stage (P = 0.028 and 0.010), tumor grade (P = 0.010 and 0.002) and tumor type (solid vs. papillary; P = 0.007 and 0.001). Carcinoma in situ showed a significant correlation with incidence of residual tumor (P = 0.016) while the absence of muscle in the primary TURBT specimen was significantly associated with upstaging to muscle invasive disease (P = 0.018).
Statistical analysis: The data was analyzed using SPSS software v. 16.0.
Conclusions: Relook TURBT may be especially recommended for high grade and T1 tumors and tumors with a solid/sessile appearance on primary TURBT especially when deep muscle was absent in the primary TURBT specimen.
Keywords: Non muscle invasive bladder cancer; relook transurethral resection of bladder tumor; residual tumor; tumor upstaging.