Role of second-look transurethral resection of bladder tumors for newly diagnosed T1 bladder cancer: Experience at a single center

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the outcome of second-look transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) for superficial T1 bladder cancer. Materials and Methods: We enrolled a total of 504 patients who were pathologically diagnosed with urothelial carcinoma and underwent TURBT between January 2012 and December 2016. A total of 240 patients were diagnosed with T1 urothelial carcinoma in the bladder, and 101 (42%) of these patients underwent a second-look TURBT within 4–14 weeks after the initial resection. We assessed the pathological staging of the second-look TURBT. Results: Of the 101 patients who underwent a second-look TURBT, 18 (18%) had residual tumors based on the pathological report: one had pTa disease, seven had pTis disease, nine had pT1 disease, and one had pT2 disease. The residual tumor rate was higher in patients with more than one tumor than in patients with a single tumor; however, there was no significant findings in patients with tumors larger than 3 cm or high histological grade. Conclusion: The results of the present study show that 18% of patients who underwent a second-look TURBT had residual tumors. Early diagnosis of residual tumors or restaging is possible through a second-look TURBT, which could help in deciding the subsequent treatment step if a residual tumor was found.