Stenzl A, McConkey D, Bellmunt J. Does it matter whether a T1 high-grade tumor is molecularly classified?
Eur Urol Oncol 2019;
4:837-842. [PMID:
31383572 DOI:
10.1016/j.euo.2019.07.009]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
A 58-yr-old male, 20 pack-year smoker, with hypertension was diagnosed with a single left-side high-grade papillary tumor with peritumoral carcinoma in situ, but no tumor was visible outside the bladder. En bloc resection was performed, and repeat transurethral resection of the bladder at 4 wk found no residual tumor. He was prescribed bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) plus maintenance therapy, and cystoscopy at 9 mo found a T1b high-grade tumor, this time right sided. Is it important that the tumor should be molecularly characterized before a treatment decision is made, or is clinicopathologic characterization still the only viable option at this time? PATIENT SUMMARY: We discussed how new methods in pathology may help us find molecular structures that would help clinicians decide safely between cystectomy and conservative bladder-sparing strategies. The primary superficially infiltrative tumor and its similar recurrence 9 mo later were categorized based on standard clinical criteria, but here we discuss whether recently discovered methods for defining the molecular structure of tumors could mean that more bladder-preserving treatments might be an option.
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