Choosing Earlier Therapy for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

摘要

One of the most difficult clinical challenges urologists face is the management of superficial bladder cancer. Approximately 70% of patients who present with bladder cancer have tumors confined to the mucosa or submucosa, so-called superficial bladder cancers. These superficial bladder tumors represent a heterogeneous group of cancers with varying degrees of malignant potential. The overall treatment goals for superficial bladder cancer are twofold: 1) reducing tumor recurrence and the subsequent need for additional therapies (ie, cystoscopy, transurethral resection, and intravesical therapy) and the morbidity associated with these treatments, and 2) preventing tumor progression and the subsequent need for more aggressive therapy.