Transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT) is a frequent operation performed by urologists worldwide. Although on occasion the procedure can be quite challenging, the majority are relatively straightforward with little morbidity. In most cases, where the medical system allows, it is an outpatient procedure. Nonetheless, with the exception of small low-grade tumours the patient is anaesthetised. It is costly, as the procedure requires medical clearance, an operating room team and equipment. Most patients with bladder cancer have Ta or less frequently T1 tumours. Despite an initial TURBT, 30–80% of patients develop another tumour. Most are new tumours and some may be recurrences. The reasons for the high ‘recurrence’ rate are the continued impact of the carcinogen, e.g. cigarettes, incomplete resection, missed tumours, and tumour implantation on the altered urothelium. The urologist can help reduce these events by stressing the importance of limiting carcinogen exposure e.g. smoking cessation, striving to perform a complete TURBT, reviewing the entire bladder after the TURBT to avoid missing tumours (using narrow-band imaging or fluorescent cystoscopy, if available), and limiting implantation of tumour cells on the altered urothelial surface with the use of postoperative intravesical chemotherapy (POIVC). There is a large body of evidence that POIVC reduces the chance of a subsequent tumour 1. I became convinced that implantation occurs after animal studies demonstrated that bladder cancer cells placed into the bladder preferentially implant and grow only if the urothelial surface had been cauterised or otherwise damaged prior to exposure to the bladder cancer cells 2. Prospective randomised trials eventually confirmed the benefit of POIVC 3. The paper published in this issue of the BJUI by Bosschieter et al. 4 indicates that POIVC is equally effective if given the same day or the day after TURBT. Thus, if there are obstacles to instilling the medication on the day of the TURBT the drug can be administered the following day. The evidence in favour of POIVC for bladder tumours is particularly impressive for Grade 1–2 Ta tumours. In my view, all patients with primary or ‘recurrent’ single or multiple papillary Grade 1–2 Ta tumours are the optimal candidates to receive POIVC 5. POIVC is recommended by the European Association of Urology (EAU) and AUA/Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) 6, 7. Yet, the adoption of this guideline is far from uniform. I queried my colleagues from the International Bladder Cancer group (IBCG), as they are conversant in the scientific basis for POIVC and represent several countries with different medical systems 8. Their comments are pertinent and consistent with my understanding of the issues. Here are some of the common reasons for not following the guidelines: (i) Some urologists are not convinced that the reduction in the ‘recurrence’ rate is sufficient to use POIVC. (ii) The most common chemotherapeutic agent for POIVC in the USA is mitomycin C and it is expensive. The cost for 40 mg is ~$1000. It is approximately $500 in Europe. (iii) Hospitals have rules regarding the delivery of chemotherapy and the pharmacy and nursing departments may not make it easy to instil the drug in the postoperative setting. Some hospitals require notification a day before the surgery and the drug is wasted if the drug is not used. (iv) Urologists are concerned about extravasation and uncertainty of the tumour grade and stage. There may be other reasons but these help explain why POIVC is not routine. On the other hand many patients with bladder cancer require frequent TURBTs. I am certain that following an uneventful TURBT or office cauterisation for Grade 1–2 Ta bladder cancer, they would choose to receive POIVC if properly informed. Urologists are proficient at judging whether a tumour fits the criteria for POIVC and if they underestimate the grade or stage the patient may still benefit. If urologists cannot instil the chemotherapy on the day of the TURBT they can instil the drug the following day without compromising effectiveness. I believe it is our job to do what we can to help our patients and in this instance we should do our best to minimise subsequent tumour events, which includes the use of adjuvant chemotherapy. None.

Currently there is no global agreement as to how extensively a radical prostatectomy specimen should be sectioned and histologically examined. We analyzed the ability of different methods of partial sampling in detecting positive margin (PM) and extraprostatic extension (EPE)-2 pathologic features of prostate cancer that are most easily missed by partial sampling of the prostate. Radical prostatectomy specimens from 617 patients treated with open radical prostatectomy between 1992 and 2011 were analyzed. Examination of the entirely submitted prostate detected only PM in 370 (60%), only EPE in 100 (16%), and both in 147 (24%) specimens. We determined whether these pathologic features would have been diagnosed had the examination of the specimen been limited only to alternate sections (method 1), alternate sections representing the posterior aspect of the gland in addition to one of the mid-anterior aspects (method 2), and every section representing the posterior aspect of the gland in addition to one of the mid-anterior aspects, supplemented by the remaining ipsilateral anterior sections if a sizeable tumor is seen (method 3). Methods 1 and 2 missed 13% and 21% of PMs and 28% and 47% of EPEs, respectively. Method 3 demonstrated better results missing only 5% of PMs and 7% of EPEs. Partial sampling techniques missed slightly more PMs and EPEs in patients with low-risk to intermediate-risk prostate cancer, although even in high-risk cases none of the methods detected all of the studied aggressive pathologic features.

Objective To develop a clinical tool that integrates different risk factors and provides individual predictions of the risk of biopsy progression in patients with prostate cancer managed by active surveillance. Materials and Methods Our analysis included 205 patients on active surveillance, each of whom had had at least two surveillance biopsies. We used the Cox proportional hazard regression model to analyse the association between different risk factors and progression-free survival over successive biopsies. This multivariate model was then used to develop a nomogram. Discrimination and calibration of the nomogram were internally validated using 200 bootstrap resamplings. Results The median follow-up of patients free of progression was 4.6 years. A total of 58 (28%) patients experienced progression. Factors significantly associated with progression were: overall number of positive cores in the diagnostic and first surveillance biopsies, race and prostate-specific antigen density. The bootstrapping concordance index of the nomogram including these variables was 81%. The nomogram tended to underestimate the probability of progression but it identified fairly accurately the distinct groups of patients at low, intermediate and high risk of progression. Conclusions In the development cohort, the nomogram was able to separate patients with respect to their risk of biopsy progression. Since accurate risk stratification is essential to optimize patient care, this tool, if external validation confirms its performance, may prove useful for both the counselling and management of patients with low-volume, Gleason 6 prostate cancer.

Purpose: We assessed the impact of hexaminolevulinate fluorescence cystoscopic detection of papillary, nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer on the long-term recurrence rate.Materials and Methods: Long-term followup was assessed in 551 participants enrolled in a prospective, randomized study of fluorescence cystoscopy for Ta or T1 urothelial bladder cancer. In the original study 280 patients in the white light cystoscopy group and 271 in the fluorescence cystoscopy group were followed with cystoscopy for 3, 6 and 9 months after initial resection or until recurrence. A study extension protocol was done for long-term followup of these patients.Results: Followup information was obtained for 261 of the 280 patients (93%) in the white light group and 255 of the 271 (94%) in the fluorescence group. Median followup in the white light and fluorescence groups was 53.0 and 55.1 months, and 83 (31.8%) and 97 patients (38%) remained tumor free, respectively. Median time to recurrence was 9.4 months in the white light group and 16.4 months in the fluorescence group (p = 0.04). The intravesical therapy rate was similar in the 2 groups (46% and 45%, respectively). Cystectomy was done in 22 of 280 cases (7.9%) in the white light group and in 13 of the 271 (4.8%) in the fluorescence group (p = 0.16).Conclusions: Hexaminolevulinate fluorescence cystoscopy significantly improves long-term bladder cancer time to recurrence with a trend toward improved bladder preservation.

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Active surveillance is an established management option for patients with favourable‐risk prostate cancer. However, about 25–30% of active surveillance patients demonstrate biopsy progression within the first 3–5 years of follow‐up. Although several factors, such as the results of the diagnostic and surveillance biopsies, are known to be associated with the risk of progression, our ability to accurately predict this risk remains limited. Our analysis demonstrated that the overall number of positive cores in the diagnostic and first surveillance biopsies is strongly associated with the risk of progression in active surveillance patients. Furthermore, combined results of diagnostic and first surveillance biopsies provide more information about the probability of progression than they do separately. The most important variable affecting the progression‐free survival was the overall number of cores positive for cancer. By 3 years of active surveillance, most of the patients who had four positive cores in the diagnostic and surveillance biopsies progressed, while those who had only one positive core had an excellent prognosis. These findings could be used to improve the accuracy of assessments of the prognosis of patients with low‐risk prostate cancer and to help them make informed decisions about their treatment. Objective To analyse the prognostic importance of information provided by the diagnostic biopsy, the first surveillance biopsy and a combination thereof to identify active surveillance patients with a particularly high risk of progression. Materials and Methods The present study included 161 active surveillance patients who had at least two surveillance biopsies. The first surveillance biopsy was performed within 1 year of the diagnosis. Further surveillance biopsies usually took place every 1–2 years. Progression on the surveillance biopsy was defined as the presence of Gleason 4/5 cancer, > two positive cores or >20% involvement of any core. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between biopsy characteristics and progression. Three distinct statistical models were built using characteristics of diagnostic biopsies, surveillance biopsies, and a combination thereof. Harrell's c‐index was used to quantify the predictive accuracy of each multivariate Cox model. Results The median follow‐up was 3.6 years; 46 (28.6%) patients progressed. In multivariate analysis the major factor associated with progression was the number of positive cores. The model based on the combined results of diagnostic and first surveillance biopsies was significantly more predictive than the models based on the individual results of each biopsy. Patients with four positive cores in the diagnostic and first surveillance biopsies had estimated 5‐year progression rate of 100%. Conclusion The total number of positive cores in the diagnostic and first surveillance biopsies provides important information about the risk of prostate cancer progression in active surveillance patients.

Research has revealed what we already suspected—randomized controlled trials are lacking in the field of bladder cancer. Many areas require further investigation, and we must try to incentivize clinicians to perform the much-needed trials. A newly established patient advocacy group will be invaluable in this endeavour.

In this month’s edition of European Urology, Chromecki and coworkers report on a retrospective series of 2492 patients, pooled from 16 centers, who underwent nephroureterectomy (NU) for the treatment of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) [1]. A multivariate analysis of patients with organ-confined UTUC treated by NU showed cancerspecific mortality and progression-free survival to be significantly influenced by age, pathologic stage, lymphovascular invasion, and tumor multifocality. We applaud the authors because this study is the largest of its kind to identify risk factors for UTUC progression and cancerspecific mortality. This information improves our ability to risk-stratify patients with UTUC. In a similar study of 656 patients, Ouzzane et al. [2] identified age, pathologic stage, lymph node metastasis, tumor location, and tumor multifocality as predictors of cancer-specific mortality. Combined, these findings aid in discussions of disease prognosis and may guide management decisions. Despite these advances in our ability to identify patients most at risk of metastasis from UTUC, few strides have been made in the last 30 yr toward improving patient survival. How might we improve our ability to diagnose and manage patients with UTUC beyond the technical improvements of ureteroscopy and

PURPOSE The desirable outcomes after open radical prostatectomy (RP) for localized prostate cancer (PC) are to: a) achieve disease recurrence free, b) urinary continence (UC), and c) maintain sexual potency (SP). These 3 combined desirable outcomes we called it the "Trifecta". Our aim is to assess the likelihood of achieving the Trifecta, and to analyze the influencing the Trifecta. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 1738 men with localized PC underwent RP from 1992-2007 by a single surgeon. The exclusion criteria for this analysis were: preoperative hormonal or radiation therapy, preoperative urinary incontinence or erectile dysfunction, follow-up less than 24 months or insufficient data. Post-operative Trifecta factors were analyzed, including biochemical recurrence (BR). We defined: BR as PSA ≥ 0.2 ng/mL, urinary continence as wearing no pads, and sexual potency as having erections sufficient for intercourse with or without a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor. RESULTS A total of 831 patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean age of the entire cohort was 59 years old. The median follow-up was 52 months (mean 60, range 24-202). The BR, UC and SP rates were 18.7%, 94.5%, and 71% respectively. Trifecta was achieved in 64% at 2 year follow-up, and 61% at 5 year follow-up. Multivariate analysis revealed age at time of surgery, pathologic Gleason score (PGS), pathologic stage, specimen weight, and nerve sparing (NS) were independent factors. CONCLUSIONS Age at time of surgery, pathologic GS, pathologic stage, specimen weight and NS were independent predictors to achieve the Trifecta following radical prostatectomy. This information may help patients counseling undergoing radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer.

Study Type – Therapy (case series)Level of Evidence 4 To present our long-term experience comparing uretero-intestinal anastomotic (UIA) stricture rates after radical cystectomy (RC) in patients with and without previous pelvic radiotherapy (pRT), as the risk of stricture is thought to be higher in patients undergoing RC and urinary diversion (UD) with a history of pRT. We retrospectively analysed patients who had RC and UD between 1992 and 2008 by one surgical team. Patients were divided into two groups, those with (group 1) and with no (group 2) previous pRT. Relevant clinical and pathological data were entered into a database. Patients who were symptomatic and required intervention for a UIA stricture were analysed; patients with malignant strictures were excluded. In all, 526 patients had RC by one surgical team during the study period; 65 had pRT before RC, 37 for prostate cancer, 23 for bladder cancer and the rest for other pelvic malignancies. All the patients in group 1 had an ileal conduit (IC) diversion. There were 250 IC and 211 neobladder diversions in group 2. There were 130 (12%) UIAs in group 1, vs 922 (88%) in group 2. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in demographic profile and follow-up. The overall stricture rate for UIA was 1.3%; there were two (1.5%) UIA strictures in group 1 vs 12 (1.3%) in group 2. The mean (median, range) time to onset of the stricture was 10 (6, 2–39) months. There was no statistically significant difference in stricture rate between the groups ( P  > 0.05). In patients undergoing RC with UD there was no significant difference in UIA stricture rates between those with and without previous pRT.

This study was developed to determine if improved detection and resection of papillary tumors with hexaminolevulinate enabled fluorescence would decrease the rate of tumor recurrence compared to resection under white light. Endpoints included both detection and recurrence.