Expert consensus of multi-disciplinary collaboration on bladder-preserving treatment for bladder cancer in China

Abstract

Objective: Bladder cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in urology. Urothelial carcinoma accounts for about 90% of all bladder malignancies. According to whether the tumor invades the bladder muscle, it can be divided into non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and muscle invasive bladder cancer. Radical cystectomy is the standard treatment for muscle invasive bladder cancer patients and high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patients who have failed Bacillus Calmette-Guerin treatment. Due to the comorbidity of bladder cancer and the potential deterioration of the quality of life after surgery, many patients were not suitable or refused for radical cystectomy. Therefore, it is vital to find a bladder-preserving treatment that can achieve cure other than radical cystectomy. Bladder-preserving therapy that balances tumor control and quality of life serves as an alternative and supplement to radical cystectomy. This consensus is based on contemporary evidence-based medicine, combined with the native clinical practice of bladder preservation in a multidisciplinary treatment manner. To some extent, this consensus serves as a guidance for bladder-preservation therapy of bladder cancer in China. Several issues are extensively discussed here, including organizational structure and workflow of multidisciplinary treatment, the selection of patients for bladder-preserving therapy, treatment options and regimens, follow-up, as well as regimen choices of recurrence after bladder-preserving therapy.