Bladder

New evidence suggests that patients undergoing robotic-assisted radical cystectomy for non-metastatic bladder cancer experience better response in terms of days alive and out of the hospital than patients undergoing open radical cystectomy. The robotic approach was associated with improved post-operative mobilization, decreased transfusion requirement and reduced burden on perceived quality of life.

Despite the high prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome, its pathophysiology remains poorly understood. Twin studies offer a unique opportunity for studying the genetics of this disorder, but trials are limited by heterogeneous patient populations. Improved understanding of genetic factors in OAB will be vital to developing targeted management.

Radical cystectomy is advocated for patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer who develop disease recurrence following BCG therapy. A retrospective series suggests that a delay in radical cystectomy attributable to failure of salvage bladder-preserving therapies in this patient cohort is safe. However, a closer analysis of the study reveals inherent case selection that might limit such conclusions.