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Intravesical chemotherapy for superficial bladder cancer

Nature Clinical Practice Urology volume 1, pages 56–57 (2004)Cite this article

Superficial bladder cancer is common in men and women, and particularly prevalent owing to its high recurrence rate. In the Netherlands in 2000 there were 5,650–8,050 cases of superficial bladder cancer, and 1,200 new patients with invasive disease. These estimates are similar to those for other common tumor types such as colon, lung, skin and prostate cancer; breast cancer is 1.5 times more frequent. In light of the increasing incidence of bladder cancer, especially among women, this malignancy is an important contributor to the costs of healthcare.

Initial diagnosis of bladder cancer is by urinary cytology and cystoscopy. The role of URINARY MARKERS in diagnosis remains limited, as no single marker has sufficient power as a screening tool or as a replacement for cystoscopy.1 Some markers might be useful in fine tuning the frequency of cystoscopy after therapy, but this strategy has not been tested. Intravesical photosensitizers should be considered as an adjunct to cystoscopy. The detection rate of superficial bladder tumors, especially of carcinoma in situ (CIS), significantly increases when these diagnostic techniques are combined. Patient management is subsequently improved.2 Diagnostic accuracy of high-risk superficial tumors can be further enhanced by performing a second transurethral resection (TUR) several weeks after initial TUR.3 A plan for additional therapy can be formulated as soon as diagnosis is made, with the help of guidelines such as those of the European Association of Urology (EAU).4

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Department of Urology at University Medical Center Nijmegen with FMJ Debruyne, Professor and Chairman.,

    J Alfred Witjes & Frans MJ Debruyne

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  1. J Alfred Witjes
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  2. Frans MJ Debruyne
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Correspondence to J Alfred Witjes.

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Competing interests

Some research at University Medical Center Nijmegen is funded by an unrestricted educational grant from MEL Medical Enterprises Ltd, manufacturer of the Synergo® system.

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Witjes, J., Debruyne, F. Intravesical chemotherapy for superficial bladder cancer. Nat Rev Urol 1, 56–57 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpuro0009

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