Efficacy of transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TUR-BT) for huge bladder cancer.

There are no guidelines regarding whether to perform either a radical transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TUR-BT) or a total cystectomy after TUR biopsy for huge bladder cancer, and this decision is entrusted to each institution. Of 439 patients in whom TUR-BT was performed from 2005 through 2009, the weight of the total resected volume was > 50 g in 6 patients, and among these 6 patients the following variables were compared: operating time, weight of resected volume, transfusion volume, presence or absence of hydronephrosis, preoperative urinary cytology, serum cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA) level, intraoperative bladder compliance, and histopathological findings. The median age, operating time, weight of resected volume, transfusion volume, and length of follow-up were 72 years, 300 minutes, 88 g, 202 mL, 16 months, respectively. The serum CYFRA level in patients with muscle-invasive cancer (11.8 ng/mL) was higher than that in patients with non-muscle-invasive cancer (5.06 ng/mL). All patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer survived without recurrence. Although the mean length of follow-up was only 16 months (5-59 months), the 1 patient who was followed up for 59 months had no recurrence. In cases of muscle-invasive bladder cancer, all patients, except for a relatively recent patient, have died. In cases without muscle invasion, lymph node metastasis, distal metastasis, or preoperative renal dysfunction accompanied by hydronephrosis, with favorable bladder compliance, we believe that radical TUR-BT should be actively performed to preserve the bladder. A second TUR-BT should be performed in cases of non-muscle-invasive cancer without G3 components to treat the huge bladder cancer.