The Importance of Being Grade 3: A Plea for a Three-tier Hybrid Classification System for Grade in Primary Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer.

Grade is an important determinant of progression in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) 2004/2016 grading system is recommended, other systems such as WHO1973 and WHO1999 are still widely used. Recently, a hybrid (three-tier) system was proposed, separating WHO2004/2016 high grade (HG) into HG/grade 2 (G2) and HG/G3 while maintaining low grade.

Adjuvant intravesical therapy in intermediate-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of adjuvant therapy on oncological outcomes in patients with intermediate-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), as due to the poorly-defined and overlapping diagnostic criteria optimal decision-making remains challenging in these patients.

Patients And Methods: In this multicentre study, patients treated with transurethral resection of bladder tumour for Ta disease were retrospectively analysed. All patients with low- or high-risk NMIBC were excluded from the analysis.

Second TURB, restaging TURB or repeat TURB in primary T1 non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: impact on prognosis?

Purpose: A re-transurethral resection of the bladder (re-TURB) is a well-established approach in managing non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) for various reasons: repeat-TURB is recommended for a macroscopically incomplete initial resection, restaging-TURB is required if the first resection was macroscopically complete but contained no detrusor muscle (DM) and second-TURB is advised for all completely resected T1-tumors with DM in the resection specimen. This study assessed the long-term outcomes after repeat-, second-, and restaging-TURB in T1-NMIBC patients.

Methods: Individual patient data with tumor characteristics of 1660 primary T1-patients (muscle-invasion at re-TURB omitted) diagnosed from 1990 to 2018 in 17 hospitals were analyzed.

Quality of Life in Patients with High-grade Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer Undergoing Standard Versus Reduced Frequency of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Instillations: The EAU-RF NIMBUS Trial.

Background: Adverse events induced by intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) to treat high-grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) often lead to treatment discontinuation. The EAU-RF NIMBUS trial found a reduced number of standard-dose BCG instillations to be inferior with the standard regimen. Nonetheless, it remains important to evaluate whether patients in the reduced BCG treatment arm had better quality of life (QoL) due to a possible reduction in toxicity or burden.

Prognosis of patients with T1 low-grade urothelial bladder cancer treated with bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunotherapy.

Background: The existence and prognosis of T1LG (T1 low-grade) bladder cancer is controversial. Also, because of data paucity, it remains unclear what is the clinical history of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) treated T1LG tumors and if it differs from other NMIBC (non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer) representatives. The aim of this study was to analyse recurrence-free survival (RFS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with T1LG bladder cancers treated with BCG immunotherapy.

Low-dose or -number of BCG in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

We aimed to review the evidence of reducing the dose or number of BCG instillations in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients. A literature search was done according to Preferred Reporting Items for Meta-Analyses statement. Overall, 15 and 13 studies were eligible for qualitative and quantitative synthesis, respectively.

International Opinions on Grading of Urothelial Carcinoma: A Survey Among European Association of Urology and International Society of Urological Pathology Members.

Background: Grade of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is an important prognostic factor for progression. Currently, two World Health Organization (WHO) classification systems (WHO1973, categories: grade 1-3, and WHO2004 categories: papillary urothelial neoplasm of low malignant potential [PUNLMP], low-grade [LG], high-grade [HG] carcinoma) are used.

Objective: To ask the European Association of Urology (EAU) and International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) members regarding their current practice and preferences of grading systems.

Definition and Diagnosis of Oligometastatic Bladder Cancer: A Delphi Consensus Study Endorsed by the European Association of Urology, European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, and European Society of Medical Oncology Genitourinary Faculty.

Background: In contrast to other cancers, the concept of oligometastatic disease (OMD) has not been investigated in bladder cancer (BC).

Objective: To develop an acceptable definition, classification, and staging recommendations for oligometastatic BC (OMBC) spanning the issues of patient selection and the roles of systemic therapy and ablative local therapy.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A European consensus group of 29 experts, led by the European Association of Urology (EAU), the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO), and the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), and including members from all other relevant European societies, was established.

Carboplatin Induction Chemotherapy in Clinically Lymph Node-positive Bladder Cancer.

Background: There are currently no guideline recommendations regarding the treatment of cisplatin-ineligible, clinically lymph node-positive (cN+) bladder cancer (BCa).

Objective: To investigate the oncological efficacy of gemcitabine/carboplatin induction chemotherapy (IC) in comparison to cisplatin-based regimens in cN+ BCa.

Design Setting And Participants: This was an observational study of 369 patients with cT2-4 N1-3 M0 BCa.

The efficacy and safety outcomes of lower dose BCG compared to intravesical chemotherapy in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: A network meta-analysis.

This study aimed to assess both efficacy and safety outcomes of lowering the dose of BCG compared to intravesical chemotherapies in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients using a systematic review, meta-analysis, and network meta-analysis approach. A comprehensive literature search was performed through Pubmed®, Web of Science™, and Scopus® in December 2022 to identify randomized controlled trials comparing the oncologic and/or safety outcomes of reduced dose intravesical BCG and/or intravesical chemotherapies according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. The outcomes of interest were risk of recurrence, progression, treatment-related adverse events, and discontinuation.

Prognosis of Primary Papillary Ta Grade 3 Bladder Cancer in the Non-muscle-invasive Spectrum.

Background: Ta grade 3 (G3) non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is a relatively rare diagnosis with an ambiguous character owing to the presence of an aggressive G3 component together with the lower malignant potential of the Ta component. The European Association of Urology (EAU) NMIBC guidelines recently changed the risk stratification for Ta G3 from high risk to intermediate, high, or very high risk. However, prognostic studies on Ta G3 carcinomas are limited and inconclusive.

Accuracy of the CUETO, EORTC 2016 and EAU 2021 scoring models and risk stratification tables to predict outcomes in high-grade non-muscle-invasive urothelial bladder cancer.

Purpose: Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancers (NMIBC) constitute 3-quarters of all primary diagnosed bladder tumors. For risk-adapted management of patients with NMIBC, different risk group systems and predictive models have been developed. This study aimed to externally validate EORTC2016, CUETO and novel EAU2021 risk scoring models in a multi-institutional retrospective cohort of patients with high-grade NMIBC who were treated with an adequate BCG immunotherapy.

Intermediate-risk Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer: Updated Consensus Definition and Management Recommendations from the International Bladder Cancer Group.

Context: Intermediate-risk (IR) non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is a heterogeneous disease.

Objective: To update the International Bladder Cancer Group (IBCG) guidance and provide practical recommendations on IR NMIBC management.

Evidence Acquisition: A collaborative review of published randomized clinical trials, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and clinical practice guidance on IR NMIBC published before January 2022 was undertaken using PubMed/Medline.

T1G1 Bladder Cancer: Prognosis for this Rare Pathological Diagnosis Within the Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer Spectrum.

Background: The pathological existence and clinical consequence of stage T1 grade 1 (T1G1) bladder cancer are the subject of debate. Even though the diagnosis of T1G1 is controversial, several reports have consistently found a prevalence of 2-6% G1 in their T1 series. However, it remains unclear if T1G1 carcinomas have added value as a separate category to predict prognosis within the non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) spectrum.

Follow-up of the Urethra and Management of Urethral Recurrence After Radical Cystectomy: A Systematic Review and Proposal of Management Algorithm by the European Association of Urology-Young Academic Urologists: Urothelial Carcinoma Working Group.

Context: Surveillance of the urethra and management of urethral recurrence (UR) after radical cystectomy (RC) is an area with poor evidence.

Objective: We aimed to summarize the available evidence and provide clinicians with practical recommendations on how to prevent and manage UR after RC for bladder cancer.

Evidence Acquisition: The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched during September 2021 for studies evaluating UR after RC.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Novel Urinary Biomarker Tests in Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.

Context: During the past decade, several urinary biomarker tests (UBTs) for bladder cancer have been developed and made commercially available. However, none of these is recommended by international guidelines so far.

Objective: To assess the diagnostic estimates of novel commercially available UBTs for diagnosis and surveillance of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) using diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) and network meta-analysis (NMA).

European Association of Urology Guidelines on Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer (Ta, T1, and Carcinoma in Situ).

Context: The European Association of Urology (EAU) has released an updated version of the guidelines on non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Objective: To present the 2021 EAU guidelines on NMIBC.

Evidence Acquisition: A broad and comprehensive scoping exercise covering all areas of the NMIBC guidelines since the 2020 version was performed.