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Background: While the clinical application of SII-ONCO-Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is well established in Greece, there is a lack of real-world data on its effectiveness and safety. This retrospective, observational, multicenter, chart-review study aims to provide real-life data on the effectiveness and safety of SII-ONCO-BCG in patients with intermediate- and high-risk NMIBC., Methods: From January 2016 to December 2023, medical records from six hospital centers were reviewed for adult patients with histologically confirmed stage Ta or T1 NMIBC (with or without carcinoma in situ [CIS]) who received at least one maintenance course of SII-ONCO-BCG after induction. Tumor recurrence and progression were monitored at scheduled time intervals. Primary outcomes included recurrence-free survival (RFS) and progression-free survival (PFS), while adverse events (AEs) constituted secondary outcomes., Results: A total of 162 patients receiving SII-ONCO-BCG were enrolled. Among all patients, 145 (89.5%) patients were men, 88 (54.3%) aged 70 years or older, 103 (63.6%) had T1, 43 (26.5%) Ta, and 21 (12.9%) concurrent CIS. The median follow-up duration was 28.9 months (range, 5-36) and the mean BCG intravesical instillation courses were 13.7 (range, 9-27). After 3-, 2-, and 1-year follow-up, RFS rates of 85.2% (95% CI, 79.7-90.7%), 85.8% (80.4-91.2%), and 87.0% (81.8-92.3%) were observed, respectively. The corresponding 3-, 2-, and 1-year PFS rates were 96.9% (94.2-99.6%), 96.9% (94.2-99.6%), and 97.5% (95.1-99.9%), respectively. During the whole follow-up period, 24 (14.8%) patients experienced at least one AE., Conclusions: This real-world study demonstrates that SII-ONCO-BCG is an effective and safe treatment for patients with intermediate- and high-risk NMIBC.

Background and Objectives: This is the first national survey assessing Greek Urology residency programs. The main objective of this study is to assess the level of confidence and perception of Greek Urology residents regarding their educational program and detect areas of improvement., Material and Methods: A 51-question survey was developed via an electronic platform and answered by 91 out of 104 Greek residents from March 2019 until May 2019. Fisher's exact test, chi-squared test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used with statistical significance set at p = .05., Results: The median overall satisfaction regarding surgical training was 6/10 regardless of working schedule, working in a University Department, PGY or number of residents in clinic. Most residents have not performed any scrotal ultrasound or pressure-flow-studies; however, they are more familiar with KUB ultrasound. Double-J stent insertion and cystoscopy were common procedures for residents. Bureaucracy was reported as a major issue by 70.4% of residents. ESWL has not been performed by 80.2% of residents, 58.2% residents performed less than 10 ureteroscopies, and only the last year trainees performed more than 10 TURBT and TURP. Most residents mentioned to rarely perform basic steps in many open or laparoscopic urological procedures. Surprisingly, 59.3% of residents have not published any study in peer-reviewed journals. Regarding satisfaction, 44% rarely feel satisfied at work and 59.3% sometimes suffer from burnout. Response rate reached 87.5%., Conclusions: Considering the results from this survey, regulatory authorities should join forces to establish a structured curriculum of clinical, surgical and research training in Urology across Europe., (Copyright © 2021 AEU. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Over the last couple of months physicians world wide are struggling to prevent the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spread all over the world. It has become obvious that our health care systems should under go modifications in order to successfully confront similar pandemics, since this is considered the ''century of pandemics'', due to the high incidence of new virus attacks with expressly high virulence (Hong Kong flu in 1968, AIDS, SARS in 2002, H1N1 pandemic in 2009, MERS in 2012 and COVID-19 in 2020) (1).