Photodynamic diagnosis of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer with hexaminolevulinate cystoscopy: a meta-analysis of detection and recurrence based on raw data.

Background: Studies on hexaminolevulinate (HAL) cystoscopy report improved detection of bladder tumours. However, recent meta-analyses report conflicting effects on recurrence.

Objective: To assess available clinical data for blue light (BL) HAL cystoscopy on the detection of Ta/T1 and carcinoma in situ (CIS) tumours, and on tumour recurrence.

A chemosensitivity test for superficial bladder cancer based on three-dimensional culture of tumour spheroids.

Objectives: Three-dimensional (3D) spheroids are a good model for studying in vitro chemosensitivity because they reproduce unicellular and multicellular mechanisms of drug resistance. We aimed to develop a chemosensitivity test for intravesical drugs and to also verify the effects of verapamil (VPM) and ciprofloxacin (CIPRO).

Methods: Cold cup biopsies from 40 superficial bladder tumours were taken, fragmented, and left in culture.