Continuous saline bladder irrigation after transurethral resection is a prophylactic treatment choice for non-muscle invasive bladder tumor.

BACKGROUND

Instillation of chemotherapy after transurethral resection (TUR) has been considered as an optimal treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). However, controversy remains regarding the role of chemotherapy instillation. We therefore evaluated the usefulness of continuous saline bladder irrigation (CSBI) after TUR.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with intermediate risk NMIBC were treated by TUR followed by either CSBI (123 patients) or intravesical instillation of mitomycin C (115 patients). Recurrence-free rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

No significant differences were observed in the recurrence-free rate, period to first recurrence, nor in frequency of recurrence between the CSBI and intravesical chemotherapy groups. Tumor progression rate and local toxicities were significantly higher in the intravesical chemotherapy group.

CONCLUSION

CSBI after TUR appears to be a prophylactic treatment choice for intermediate risk NMIBC patients, in terms of its equal prophylactic effect to intravesical chemotherapy with mitomycin C, and its safety and cost benefits.