The efficacy of the EORTC scoring system and risk tables for the prediction of recurrence and progression of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer after intravesical bacillus calmette-guerin instillation

PURPOSE

The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) scoring system and risk table were introduced in the 2008 European Association of Urology guidelines on TaT1 bladder cancer. We compared the recurrence and progression rate between EORTC risk tables and author's patients who underwent transurethral resection of bladder cancer (TURB) following intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) instillation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The medical records of 251 patients who underwent TURB and were diagnosed with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer from l993 to 2007 were analyzed. The patients were divided into 2 groups: the recurrence group and the progression group. According to the EORTC scoring system, the patients in each group were categorized in terms of number of tumors, tumor size, prior recurrence rate, T category, carcinoma in situ, and pathologic grade and the scores were summed. According to the summed scores, the recurrence group and the progression group were divided into 3 subgroups: low, intermediate, and high risk, respectively. The recurrence rate and progression rate of each group were compared with the EORTC risk tables.

RESULTS

The recurrence rate and progression rate were almost similar to the EORTC risk tables. However, the recurrence rate was low in the intermediate-risk group.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical utilization of the EORTC scoring system and risk tables is very effective in predicting the recurrence and progression of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer and in selecting treatment.