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Background. There is limited effect of tyrosine kinase inhibitors or “naked” antibodies binding EGFR or HER2 for therapy of metastasized urinary bladder cancer and these methods are therefore not routinely used. Targeting radionuclides to the extracellular domain of the receptors is potentially a better possibility.

Background and Objective: It has been suggested that urinary tract infections (UTIs) are associated with delayed diagnosis of bladder cancer (BC). Our aim was to investigate prediagnostic treatments related to UTI and the relation to BC diagnostic delay, reflected by advanced disease at diagnosis., Methods: We used data from the BladderBaSe 2.0 with data of treatments related to UTI up to 3 yr before BC diagnosis (2008-2019) for BC patients in comparison to a matched reference population. We investigated the association between UTI treatments and more advanced disease at diagnosis in the BC cohort. We used generalized ordered logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for more advanced disease as an ordered outcome: non-muscle-invasive BC (NMIBC), muscle-invasive BC (MIBC), and metastatic BC (MBC)., Key Findings and Limitations: The study population included 29 921 BC patients and 149 467 matched reference subjects. The proportions of individuals receiving UTI treatment were higher in the patient groups than in the corresponding reference groups, with the greatest differences observed for the MIBC and MBC subgroups. The OR for the risk of more advanced disease (MIBC or MBC) with at least one UTI treatment versus none was 1.28 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-1.37) for men and 1.42 (95 % CI 1.27-1.58) for women. The association to risk of more advanced disease increased with the number of UTI treatments for both sexes., Conclusions and Clinical Implications: Further studies on the effects of treatments related to UTI in combination with other factors are needed to identify reasons for possible delays in the BC diagnostic pathway., Patient Summary: We found that for patients with bladder cancer, previous antibiotic treatment for a urinary tract infection was linked to more advanced disease at diagnosis. Further studies are needed to identify reasons for possible delays in the diagnosis of bladder cancer., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Grade is an important determinant of progression in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) 2004/2016 grading system is recommended, other systems such as WHO1973 and WHO1999 are still widely used. Recently, a hybrid (three-tier) system was proposed, separating WHO2004/2016 high grade (HG) into HG/grade 2 (G2) and HG/G3 while maintaining low grade. We assessed the prognostic performance of HG/G3 and HG/G2. Three independent cohorts with 9712 primary (first diagnosis) Ta-T1 bladder tumors were analyzed. Time to progression was analyzed with cumulative incidence functions and Cox regression models. Harrell's C-index was used to assess discrimination. Time to progression was significantly shorter for HG/G3 than for HG/G2 in multivariable analyses (cohort 1: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.92; cohort 2: HR = 2.51, and cohort 3: HR = 1.69). Corresponding progression risks at 5 yr were 18%, 20%, and 18% for HG/G3 versus 7.3%, 7.5%, and 9.3% for HG/G2, respectively. Cox models using hybrid grade performed better than models with WHO2004/2016 (all cohorts; p < 0.001). For the three cohorts, C-indices for WHO2004/2016 were 0.69, 0.62, and 0.75, while, for hybrid grade, C-indices were 0.74, 0.68, and 0.78, respectively. Subdividing the HG category into HG/G2 and HG/G3 stratifies time to progression and supports the recommendation to adopt the hybrid grading system for Ta/T1 bladder cancers., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To investigate the cumulative incidence proportion of disseminated or local Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infections after adjuvant BCG instillations in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC)., Patients and Methods: We analysed the timing and occurrence of BCG infections and absolute and relative risk in relation to patient characteristics available in the Swedish nationwide database 'BladderBaSe 2.0'. The cumulative incidence proportion of a BCG infection was indicated by a reported diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in the patient registry or filing a prescription for tuberculostatic drugs., Results: The cumulative incidence proportion was 1.1% at the 5-year follow-up in 5033 patients exposed to adjuvant BCG instillations. The incidence rate was highest during the first 2 years after start of BCG instillations. Women had a lower risk than men (hazard ratio 0.23, 95% confidence interval 0.07-0.74). Age and calendar time at diagnosis, comorbidity, tumour risk group, previous medication with corticosteroids, immunosuppressive drugs, or time between transurethral resection of the bladder tumour and commencing the adjuvant BCG instillation were not associated with risk., Conclusions: These data further supports that the overall risk of a BCG infection after BCG-instillation treatment for NMIBC is low. The great majority of infections occur in the first 2 years, calling for an awareness of the diverse symptoms of BCG infection during this period. We provide evidence for male sex as a risk factor; however, the statistical precision is low and with a risk of selection bias, making it difficult to rule out the other suggested risk factors without further studies with different approaches., (© 2024 The Authors. BJU International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of BJU International.)

Objective: Radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer is associated with an inherent risk of complications and even postoperative mortality. The number of hospitals performing RC has decreased in Sweden over time, and since a formal regional centralization in 2017 cystectomy care is currently provided by nine hospitals., Material and Methods: In the Swedish National Urinary Bladder Cancer Register (SNRUBC) 90-day complications after RC have been registered with high coverage since 2012. Descriptive data and short-term outcomes were compared in relation to centralization of the cystectomy care by stratifying data before (2012-2016) and after (2017-2023)., Results: Out of all 4,638 cystectomies, 2,738 (59%) were performed after the centralization in 2017 and onwards. The median age at RC increased from 71 (Inter Quartile Range [IQR] 65-76) to 73 (IQR 67-77) years, and the proportion of patients with comorbidity (American Society of Anesthesiologists [ASA] 3 or 4) increased from 32% to 37% after the centralization (p < 0.001). The number of patients suffering from high-grade complications within 90 days of surgery corresponding to Clavien grade three were 345 (18%) and 407 (15%), and corresponding to Clavien grade four 61 (3%) and 64 (2%) before and after centralization, respectively. Reoperations within 90 days of RC decreased from 234/1,900 (12%) to 208/2,738 (8%) (p < 0.001), and 90-day mortality decreased from 84/1,900 (4%) to 85/2,738 (3%) (p = 0.023) before and after centralization, respectively., Conclusion: After the centralization of the cystectomy-care in Sweden, older patients and individuals with more extensive comorbidity were offered RC whereas 90-day mortality and the proportion of patients subjected to reoperations within 90 days of surgery decreased without increasing waiting times.

Radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer is a complex procedure with an inherent risk of complications and even postoperative mortality. Historically, RC was performed in 44 hospitals in Sweden, which gradually decreased over time, and since a formal regional centralisation of these operations in 2017, cystectomy care is currently provided by nine hospitals. In the Swedish national urinary bladder cancer register (SNRUBC), complications after RC has been registered with high coverage since 2012, with data presented in an interactive online data resource (RODRET). Over time, an increased median age and proportion of patients with significant comorbidity (ASA 3 or 4) were observed between 2012 and 2022. A simultaneous decrease in 90-day mortality from 7 percent to 2 percent was noted, as well as a decreased need for reoperations within 90 days of RC from 11 percent to 7 percent. It is likely that the regionalization of the cystectomy care in Sweden has contributed to these improved outcomes.

Objective: To report national data on diagnostics and treatment of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) from the Swedish National Registry of Urinary Bladder Cancer (SNRUBC)., Patients and Methods: Data from 2015 to 2021 were retrieved, and descriptive analyses were performed regarding incidence, diagnostic modalities, preoperative tumor staging, quality indicators for treatment including the use of standardized care pathways (SCP) and multidisciplinary tumor boards (MDTB). Time trends were explored for the study period., Results: Registrations included 1,213 patients with renal pelvic cancer and 911 patients with ureteric cancer with a median age of 74 (interquartile range [IQR] 70-77) and 75 (IQR 71-78) years, respectively. Incidence rates of UTUC were stable, as were proportions of curative treatment intent. Median number of days from referral to treatment was 76 (IQR 57-99) and 90 (IQR 72-118) days, respectively, for tumors of the renal pelvis and ureter, which remained unchanged after introduction of SCP in 2016. Noticeable trends included stable use of kidney-sparing surgery and increased use of MDTB. For radical nephroureterectomy (RNU), robot-assisted technique usage increased even for non-organ-confined tumors (cT3-4) and in one out of three patients undergoing RNU a bladder cuff excision was not registered., Conclusions: The population-based SNRUBC with high coverage contributes to the knowledge about UTUC with granular and generalizable data. The present study reveals a high proportion of patients not subjected to curatively intended treatment and suggests unmet needs to shorten lead times to treatment and use of bladder cuff excision when performing radical surgery for UTUC in Sweden.

Objectives: To perform a descriptive analysis of a series of patients with recurrent macroscopic haematuria after a primary standard evaluation including computed tomography urography (CTU) and cystoscopy negative for urinary bladder cancer (UBC) and upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) and to identify potential factors associated with occurrence of recurrent macroscopic haematuria., Methods: All patients older than 50 years who underwent urological investigation for macroscopic haematuria with both cystoscopy and CTU 2015-2017 were retrospectively reviewed. A descriptive analysis of the primary and later investigations for recurrent macroscopic haematuria was performed. To investigate the association between explanatory variables and the occurrence of recurrent macroscopic haematuria, a Poisson regression analysis was performed., Results: A total of 1395 eligible individuals with primary standard investigation negative for UBC and UTUC were included. During a median follow-up of 6.2 (IQR 5.3-7) years, 248 (18%) patients had recurrent macroscopic haematuria, of whom six patients were diagnosed with UBC, two with prostate cancer, one with renal cell carcinoma and one had a suspected UTUC at the repeated investigation. Within 3 years, 148 patients (11%) experienced recurrent macroscopic haematuria, of whom two patients were diagnosed with low-grade UBC (TaG1-2), one with T2G3 UBC and one with low-risk prostate cancer. The presence of an indwelling catheter, use of antithrombotic medication, pathological findings at CTU or cystoscopy or history of pelvic radiotherapy were all statistically significant independent predictors for increased risk for recurrent macroscopic haematuria., Conclusion: In the case of recurrent macroscopic haematuria within 3 years of primary standard evaluation for urinary tract cancer, there was a low risk of later urological malignancies in patients initially negative for UBC and UTUC. Therefore, waiting 3 years before conducting another complete investigation in cases of recurrent macroscopic haematuria might be appropriate., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (© 2023 The Authors. BJUI Compass published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of BJU International Company.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) before and 1 year after radical cystectomy in relation to age and gender., Methods: This prospective study involves 112 men and 40 women with bladder cancer treated with radical cystectomy between 2015 and 2018. HRQoL was assessed preoperatively and 1 year post-surgery through Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale - General (FACT-G) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale - Vanderbilt Cystectomy Index (FACT-VCI) questionnaires. The median age of the 152 patients was 71.5 years., Results: Preoperatively, emotional and functional well-being were negatively affected. Physical, emotional and functional well-being presented higher values 1 year after surgery compared to before radical cystectomy, that is, better HRQoL. Social well-being showed a reduction, especially regarding closeness to partner and support from family. Men and women were equally satisfied with their sex life before radical cystectomy, but less so 1 year after, where men were less satisfied compared to women. Additionally, one out of five patients reported that they had to limit their physical activities, were afraid of being far from a toilet and were dissatisfied with their body appearance after surgery., Conclusions: Recovery regarding HRQoL was ongoing 1 year after radical cystectomy. Patients recovered in three out of four dimensions of HRQoL, but social well-being was still negatively affected 1 year after treatment. Sexual function after radical cystectomy was exceedingly limited for both men and women. An individual sexual rehabilitation plan involving the couple with special intention to encourage intimacy, might not only improve sexual life but also have a positive effect on social well-being as a consequence.

Introduction: We aimed to compare short term outcomes after robot assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) and open radical cystectomy (ORC) for urinary bladder cancer in a large population., Materials and Methods: We included all patients without distant metastases who underwent either RARC or ORC with ileal conduit between 2011 and 2019 registered in the Bladder cancer data Base Sweden (BladderBaSe) 2.0. Primary outcome was unplanned readmissions within 90 days, and secondary outcomes within 90 days of surgery were reoperations, Clavien 3-5 complications, total days alive and out of hospital, and mortality. The analysis was carried out using multivariate regression models., Results: Out of 2905 patients, 832 were operated with RARC and 2073 with ORC. Robotic procedures were to a larger extent performed during later years, at high volume centers (47% vs 17%), more often for organ-confined disease (82% vs. 72%) and more frequently in patients with high socioeconomic status (26% vs. 21%). Patients operated with RARC were more commonly readmitted (29% vs. 25%). In multivariable analysis RARC was associated with decreased risk of Clavien 3-5 complications (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.47-0.72), reoperations (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.39-0.71) and had more days alive and out of hospital (mean difference 3.7 days, 95% CI 2.4-5.0)., Conclusion: This study illustrates the "real-world" effects of a gradual and nation-wide introduction of RARC. Patients operated with RARC had fewer major complications and reoperations but were more frequently readmitted compared to ORC. The observed differences were largely due to more wound related complications among patients treated with ORC., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We certify that there are no conflicts of interest, including specific financial interests and relationships and affiliations relevant to the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Intravesical recurrence (IVR) after surgery for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a clinical problem. We investigated if preoperative invasive diagnostic modalities (IDM) such as antegrade/retrograde uretero-pyelography and/or selective urine cytology/barbotage, and URS with or without concomitant biopsy are associated with IVR after radical surgery for UTUC. Risk of death from urothelial cancer and all causes was investigated as secondary outcomes., Methods: We investigated a population-based cohort of 1038 consecutive patients subjected to radical surgery for UTUC 2015-2019 in Sweden, using the Bladder Cancer Data Base Sweden (BladderBaSe 2.0), comprising all patients in the Swedish National Registry of Urinary Bladder Cancer. Risk estimates of IVR, death from urothelial cancer, and all causes was assessed using multivariable Cox regression models., Results: The study included 536 cases with and 502 without preoperative IDM. IDM was associated with increased risk of IVR (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.03-1.52) and risk of urothelial cancer death (HR 1.56, CI 1.12-2.18), compared to no IDM after a median follow-up of 1.3 yrs. Stratified analysis for tumor location showed that IDM was associated with risk of IVR in ureteric cancer (HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.21-2.28) but not in renal pelvic cancer (HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.81-1.41). Limitations included the observational setting and the lack of variables such as tumour grade, multifocality and preoperative hydronephrosis., Conclusions: Worse outcomes for patients subjected to preoperative IDM highlight the need for carefully considering diagnostic decisions for UTUC patients, specifically in tumours located in the ureter., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Liedberg et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Purpose: We constructed Bladder Cancer Data Base Sweden (BladderBaSe) 2.0 to expand studies in BladderBaSe on incidence, treatment outcomes, side effects, survival and health economic aspects of men and women with cancer in the urinary bladder, upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) (renal pelvis and ureter) and urethral carcinoma., Participants: BladderBaSe 2.0 includes 53 298 patients with cancer in the urinary bladder, diagnosed from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2019, and 961 patients with UTUC in the renal pelvis and 792 in the ureter, and 146 patients with urethral urothelial carcinoma, diagnosed from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2019, and in total 275 816 participants in reference groups, free of cancer in the urinary tract, matched 1:5 on sex, age and county., Findings to Date: To date, 18 published studies based on data from the BladderBaSe have investigated calendar time trends in survival; impact of gender, socioeconomic factors, tumour aggressiveness and hospital volume for radical cystectomy on prognosis; survival after radical cystectomy compared with radical radiotherapy; risk factors for complications and side effects after radical cystectomy such as thromboembolism, strictures of ureteroenterostomies and incisional hernia., Future Plans: The BladderBaSe initiators are currently investigating gender-dependent detection delays due to urinary tract infections; survival after non-muscle invasive bladder cancer with respect to the number of transurethral resections; short-term outcomes comparing open and robot-assisted radical cystectomy; studies on risk for intravesical recurrence after different diagnostic measures in UTUC, and suicide risk after bladder cancer diagnosis. The BladderBaSe project group is open for collaborations with national and international colleagues., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Previous research has associated repeated transurethral procedures after a diagnosis of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with increased risk of death of causes other than bladder cancer., Aim: We investigated the overall and disease-specific risk of death in patients with NMIBC compared to a background population sample., Methods: We utilized the database BladderBaSe 2.0 containing tumor-specific, health-related and socio-demographic information for 38,547 patients with NMIBC not primarily treated with radical cystectomy and 192,733 individuals in a comparison cohort, matched on age, gender, and county of residence. The cohorts were compared using Kaplan-Meier curves and Hazard ratios (HR) from a Cox regression models. In the NMIBC cohort, we analyzed the association between number of transurethral procedures and death conditioned on surviving two or five years., Results: Overall survival and survival from causes other than bladder cancer estimated with Kaplan-Meier curves was 9.3% (95% confidence interval (CI) (8.6%-10.0%)) and 1.4% (95% CI 0.7%-2.1%) lower respectively for the NMIBC cohort compared to the comparison cohort at ten years. In a Cox model adjusted for prognostic group, educational level and comorbidity, the HR was 1.03 (95% CI 1.01-1.05) for death from causes other than bladder cancer comparing the NMIBC cohort to the comparison cohort. Among the NMIBC patients, there was no discernible association between number of transurethral procedures and deaths of causes other than bladder cancer after adjustment. The number of procedures were, however, associated with risk of dying from bladder cancer HR 3.56 (95% CI 3.43-3.68) for four or more resections versus one within two years of follow-up., Conclusion: The results indicate that repeated diagnostic or therapeutic transurethral procedures under follow-up do not increase of risk dying from causes other than bladder cancer. The modestly raised risk for NMIBC patients dying from causes other than bladder cancer is likely explained by residual confounding., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objectives: To compare time intervals to diagnosis and treatment, tumor characteristics, and management in patients with primary urinary bladder cancer, diagnosed before and after the implementation of a standardized care pathway (SCP) in Sweden., Materials and Methods: Data from the Swedish National Register of Urinary Bladder Cancer was studied before (2011-2015) and after (2016-2019) SCP. Data about time from referral to transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT), patients and tumor characteristics, and management were analyzed. Subgroup analyses were performed for cT1 and cT2-4 tumors., Results: Out of 26,795 patients, median time to TURBT decreased from 37 to 27 days after the implementation of SCP. While the proportion of cT2-T4 tumors decreased slightly (22-21%, p  < 0.001), this change was not stable over time and the proportions cN + and cM1 remained unchanged. In the subgroups with cT1 and cT2-4 tumors, the median time to TURBT decreased and the proportions of patients discussed at a multidisciplinary team conference (MDTC) increased after SCP. In neither of these subgroups was a change in the proportions of cN + and cM1 observed, while treatment according to guidelines increased after SCP in the cT1 group., Conclusion: After the implementation of SCP, time from referral to TURBT decreased and the proportion of patients discussed at MDTC increased, although not at the levels recommended by guidelines. Thus, our findings point to the need for measures to increase adherence to SCP recommendations and to guidelines.