Objective: To investigate the predictors of residual tumors at repeat transurethral resection of bladder tumors (re-TURBT) for the patients with T1 bladder cancer and evaluate the effect of the residual tumors on the prognosis of the disease.
Methods: We reviewed the clinical data of the patients with T1 bladder cancer who underwent re-TURBT from 2008 to 2015 in our department. Seventy-two patients received re-TURBT 2-6 weeks after the initial TURBT. A total of 65 patients were followed up, and we recorded the events of tumor recurrence, tumor progression, radical cystectomy and cancer specific death.The influencing factors of re-TURBT positive rate were analyzed.The effects of re-TURBT positive or negative findings on the prognosiswere compared.
Results: 33.3% of the patients who received re-TURBT had residual tumours. Re-TURBT positive in T1 bladder cancer has significant correlation with tumor size (P<0.05). Residual tumors tended to be detected in patients with larger tumors (diameter ≥ 4 cm) but might have no relationship with tumor grade or tumor number. The recurrence rate within 3 month ofthe patients with residual tumours at re-TURBT was 25% (5/20), while there were no patients suffering recurrence who had no residual tumours at re-TURBT, which had a significant difference (P<0.001). However, the overall recurrence rate, progression rate, rate of radical cystectomy and cancer specific mortality showed no significant difference between the two groups (45% vs 40%, P=0.71; 10% vs 6.7%, P=0.64; 5% vs 8.9%, P=0.59; 5% vs 2.2%, P=0.55).
Conclusions: For the patients with T1 bladder cancer, larger tumors could be a predictor for residual tumors at re-TURBT. The presence of residual tumors is associated with early recurrence.