Understanding the role of smoking in the aetiology of bladder cancer

A prospective study comparing side-firing KTP laser enucleation vs bipolar transurethral resection of bladder tumor for small bladder tumors in an outpatient setting

Introduction

Laser therapy provides an alternative option for treating non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The clinical evidence for potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) laser en bloc resection is still limited. Here, we evaluated the efficacy, safety profile, and outcomes of side-firing KTP laser enucleation with bipolar transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) in carefully selected patients with small bladder tumors in an office setting.

Material and methods

A total of 83 patients with small bladder tumors were treated with either side-firing KTP laser enucleation (Group A; n = 40) or bipolar TURBT (Group B; n = 43). Intraoperative and postoperative parameters of interest were recorded and analyzed as per the study so as to evaluate the efficacy, safety profile, and outcome of KTP laser enucleation.

Results

The mean enucleation time was 23 ±5.24 min in Group A and the mean operative time was 21.98 ±4.77 min in Group B (p = 0.207). Group A had a lower risk of obturator reflex (0 vs 8; p = 0.005) and lesser amount of irrigation used intraoperatively as compared to Group B (6.2 ±0.61 L vs 7.65 ±0.75 L; p <0.0001). There were no perioperative complications. The recurrence rate at 6 months was none in Group A and 2.3% in Group B.

Conclusions

The present study shows that, in patients with small bladder tumors (<3 cm), KTP laser enucleation is an effective and feasible alternative to bipolar TURBT in an office setting and can be carried out safely with comparable treatment outcomes, lesser use of irrigation fluid and lower risk of obturator reflex. However, further studies in larger cohorts are warranted.

Bladder cancer: overview and disease management. Part 1: non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Part 1 of this two-part article provides an overview of bladder cancer and discusses its management. Since publication of a previous article entitled 'Understanding the role of smoking in the aetiology of bladder cancer' ( Anderson, 2009 ), the author has received many requests for an update. This article provides an overview of bladder cancer and its current management practices, underlining the continued role of smoking as the predominant risk factor in the disease's development. The management of bladder cancer is governed by specific guidelines. Management of non-muscle-invasive cancers, including surgical intervention with transurethral resection, and intravesical therapy using chemotherapy and immunotherapy agents, is discussed. Cystectomy (removal of the bladder), is sometimes necessary. Treatments are effective in reducing tumour recurrence, but the effects of the risks and side-effects on the individual's quality of life can be significant. The prevalence of bladder cancer, and the nature of its management make this cancer one of the most expensive for the NHS to treat. The effectiveness of health promotional strategies in increasing peoples' awareness of their risk of developing the disease, and in enabling them to change long-term health behaviours is discussed. The role of the multidisciplinary team is explored, along with that of the uro-oncology cancer nurse specialist. Part 2 will consider the management of muscle-invasive and metastatic bladder cancer.

Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in urinary bladder cancer

Objective:

To evaluate the expression pattern of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in urinary bladder cancer and its association with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), epidermal growth factor (EGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and high risk human papilloma virus (HPV) types 16 and 18.

Materials and Methods:

Thirty cases of urothelial carcinoma were analyzed. EGFR, HER2, EGF, and IL-6 expressions in the tissue were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. For HPV, DNA from tissue samples was extracted and detection of HPV was done by PCR technique. Furthermore, evaluation of different intracellular molecules associated with EGFR signaling pathways was performed by the western blot method using lysates from various cells and tissues.

Results:

In this study, the frequencies of immunopositivity for EGFR, HER2, EGF, and IL-6 were 23%, 60%, 47%, and 80%, respectively. No cases were positive for HPV-18, whereas HPV-16 was detected in 10% cases. Overall, expression of EGFR did not show any statistically significant association with the studied parameters. However, among male patients, a significant association was found only between EGFR and HER2.

Conclusions:

Overexpression of EGFR and/or HER2, two important members of the same family of growth factor receptors, was observed in a considerable proportion of cases. Precise knowledge in this subject would be helpful to formulate a rational treatment strategy in patients with urinary bladder cancer.