Search

Background: Follow-up after radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer can be divided into oncological and functional surveillance. It remains unclear how follow-up after RC should ideally be scheduled. The aim of this report was to gain insight into the organization of follow-up after RC in Europe, for which we conducted a roundtable inventory within the EAU Young Academic Urologists Urothelial Cancer working group. Methods: An inventory semi-structured survey was performed among urologists of the EAU Young Academic Urologists Urothelial Cancer working group to describe the organization of follow-up. The surveys were analyzed using a deductive approach. Similarities and differences in follow-up after RC for bladder cancer were described. Results: The survey included 11 urologists from six different European countries. An institutional follow-up scheme was used by six (55%); three (27%) used a national or international guideline, and two (18%) indicated that there was no defined follow-up scheme. Major divergent aspects included the time points of follow-up, the frequency, and the end of follow-up. Six centers (55%) adopted a risk-adapted follow-up approach tailored to (varying) patient and tumor characteristics. Laboratory tests and CT scans were used in all cases; however, the intensity and frequency varied. Functional follow-up overlapped with oncological follow-up in terms of frequency and duration. Patient-reported outcome measures were only used by two (18%) urologists. Conclusions: Substantial variability exists across European centers regarding the follow-up after RC for bladder cancer. This highlights the need for an international analysis focusing on its organization and content as well as on opportunities to improve patients' needs during follow-up after RC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the oncological impact of extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND) vs standard PLND (sPLND) during radical cystectomy (RC) in clinically lymph node‐positive (cN+) bladder cancer (BCa). Patients and Methods: In this retrospective, multicentre study we included 969 patients who underwent RC with sPLND (internal/external iliac and obturator lymph nodes) or ePLND (sPLND plus common iliac and presacral nodes) with or without platin‐based peri‐operative chemotherapy for cTany N1‐3 M0 BCa between 1991 and 2022. We assessed the impact of ePLND on recurrence‐free survival (RFS) and the distribution of recurrences (locoregional and distant recurrences). The secondary endpoint was overall survival (OS). We performed propensity‐score matching using covariates associated with the extent of PLND in univariable logistic regression analysis. The association of the extent of PLND with RFS and OS was investigated using Cox regression models. Results: Of 969 cN+ patients, 510 were 1:1 matched on propensity scores. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) time to recurrence was 8 (4–16) months, and median (IQR) follow‐up of alive patients was 30 (13–51) months. Disease recurrence was observed in 104 patients in the ePLND and 107 in the sPLND group. Of these, 136 (27%), 47 (9.2%) and 19 patients (3.7%) experienced distant, locoregional, or both distant and locoregional disease recurrence, respectively. When stratified by the extent of PLND, we did not find a difference in recurrence patterns (P > 0.05). ePLND improved neither RFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70–1.19; P = 0.5) nor OS (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.60–1.01; P = 0.06) compared to sPLND. Stratification by induction chemotherapy did not change outcomes. Conclusion: Performing an ePLND at the time of RC in cN+ patients improved neither RFS nor OS compared to sPLND, regardless of induction chemotherapy status. Pretreatment risk stratification is paramount to identify ideal candidates for RC with ePLND as part of a multimodal treatment approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: The Clavien–Dindo Classification (CDC) only reports the postoperative complication of highest grade. It is thus of limited value for radical cystectomy, after which patients usually experience multiple complications. The Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI) is a novel scoring system, which incorporates all postoperative events in one single value. The study aimed to adopt the CCI for the evaluation of complications in patients undergoing robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with intracorporeal urinary diversion (ICUD) and explore its advantages in the analysis of the morbidity of RARC with ICUD. Patients and Methods: A multicentric cohort of 959 patients undergoing RARC+ICUD between 2015 and 2020, whose complications are encoded in local prospective registries. Postoperative complications at 30 days were assessed using both the CDC and CCI. The CCI was calculated using an online tool (assessurgery.com). Risk factors for overall, major complications (CDC ≥III), and CCI were evaluated using uni- and multivariable logistic and linear regressions. To analyze the potential advantage of using the CCI in clinical trials, a sample size calculation of a hypothetic clinical trial was performed using as endpoint reduction of morbidity with either the CDC or CCI. Results: Overall, 885 postoperative complications were reported in 507 patients (53%). The CCI improved the definition of postoperative morbidity in 22.6% of patients. Male sex and neobladder were associated with major complications and to a significant increase in CCI on adjusted regressions. In a hypothetical clinical trial, 80 patients would be needed to demonstrate a ten-point reduction in CCI, compared with 186 needed to demonstrate an absolute risk reduction of 20% in overall morbidity using the CDC. Conclusion: CCI improves the evaluation of postoperative morbidity by considering the cumulative aspect of complications compared with the CDC. Implementing the CCI for radical cystectomy would help reducing sample sizes in clinical trials. Clinical Trial Registration number: NCT03049410. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the current research was to explore the potential prognostic value of readily available clinical and pathologic variables in bladder cancer. The novel association found between cholesterol levels and prognosis may provide the rationale for exploring novel treatments. Patients included had histologically confirmed urothelial bladder cancer and were treated with at least 3 cycles of cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy before radical cystectomy with lymphadenectomy. A total of 245 patients at low, intermediate and high risk, presenting with 0-1, 2 or 3-4 risk factors, including positive lymph nodes, Hb <12.8, NLR ≥2.7 and cholesterol levels ≥199, were included. Five-year cancer-specific survival rate was 0.67, 0.78 and 0.94 at high, intermediate and low risk, respectively. Total cholesterol levels at the time of cystectomy may represent a commonly assessable prognostic factor and may be incorporated in a clinically meaningful risk-group classification model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Materials and Methods Results Conclusions To assess the risk of venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) and bleeding with or without thromboprophylaxis during neoadjuvant chemotherapy in bladder cancer patients scheduled for radical cystectomy.We conducted a retrospective cohort study in 4886 patients with non‐metastatic bladder cancer undergoing cystectomy across 28 centres in 13 countries between 1990 and 2021. Inverse probability weighting analyses were performed to estimate the effect of thromboprophylaxis on VTE and bleeding.In 147 patients (3%) VTEs were recorded within the first year. These occurred a median (interquartile range [IQR]) of 127 (82–198) days after bladder cancer diagnosis. Bleeding events occurred in 131 patients (3%) within the first year. These occurred a median (IQR) of 101 (83–171) days after cancer diagnosis. In inverse probability weighting analyses, compared to patients without thromboprophylaxis during chemotherapy, patients with thromboprophylaxis had not only a lower risk of VTE (hazard ratio [HR] 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.12–0.81; P = 0.016) but also a lower bleeding risk (HR 0.03, 95% CI 0.09–0.12; P <0.0001). The retrospective nature of the study was its main limitation.In this retrospective analysis, the benefit of thromboprophylaxis during neoadjuvant chemotherapy before cystectomy is in line with data from randomised trials in other malignancies. Our data suggest thromboprophylaxis is protective against VTEs and should be the standard of care during neoadjuvant chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the incidence and risk factors of urethral recurrence (UR) as well as summarizing data on survival outcomes in patients with UR after radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer. The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched in February 2021 for studies of patients with UR after RC. Incidence and risk factors of UR were the primary endpoints. The secondary endpoint was survival outcomes in patients who experienced UR. Twenty-one studies, comprising 9,435 patients, were included in the quantitative synthesis. Orthotopic neobladder (ONB) diversion was associated with a decreased probability of UR compared to non-ONB (pooled OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.31-0.61, P < 0.001) and male patients had a significantly higher risk of UR compared to female patients (pooled OR: 3.16, 95% CI: 1.83-5.47, P < 0.001). Among risk factors, prostatic urethral or prostatic stromal involvement (pooled HR: 5.44, 95% CI: 3.58-8.26, P < 0.001; pooled HR: 5.90, 95% CI: 1.82-19.17, P = 0.003, respectively) and tumor multifocality (pooled HR: 2.97, 95% CI: 2.05-4.29, P < 0.001) were associated with worse urethral recurrence-free survival. Neither tumor stage (P = 0.63) nor CIS (P = 0.72) were associated with worse urethral recurrence-free survival. Patients with UR had a 5-year CSS that varied from 47% to 63% and an OS - from 40% to 74%; UR did not appear to be related to worse survival outcomes. Male patients treated with non-ONB diversion as well as patients with prostatic involvement and tumor multifocality seem to be at the highest risk of UR after RC. Risk-adjusted standardized surveillance protocols should be developed into clinical practice after RC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]