[The results of a long-term follow-up for patients with stage Ta bladder cancer, especially regarding those with multiple recurrences].
OBJECTIVE
We reviewed our series of stage Ta bladder cancer patients with a long-term follow-up in order to clarify the prognosis of these patients, especially those who have repeated recurrences.


METHODS
A retrospective study was done on 88 patients with stage Ta bladder cancer who were treated between 1971 and 1990 at our hospital. All patients reviewed were followed up for at least 5 years.


RESULTS
Fifty-three patients out of 88 had recurrence, and the number of recurrences ranged from one to eleven. In the first recurrence, the 5- and 10-year recurrence-free rates were 53.4% and 37.1%, respectively. In the second recurrence, those rates were 25.7% and 15.9%, respectively. Comparisons of the recurrence-free rates between the first recurrence and that of more than 2 times yielded statistically significance (p < 0.01). On the other hand, when the recurrence-free rates of those patients showing recurrence more than 2 times were compared no statistical significance was observed among them. In addition, most patients with multiple recurrences also tended to show a long tumor-free period at some point. In eight patients a stage-up of > or = T1 developed during the study period. No characteristics of the tumors, including the multiplicity of the recurrence, was found to correlate with the stage-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Most patients with multiple recurrences demonstrated a long tumor-free period at some point, and, moreover, in some of those patients there was also a possibility that no further recurrence occurred. In addition, frequent recurrence was not associated with increased incidence of stage-up. Based on these findings, multiple recurrence is not thought to be an especially ominous sign, and therefore bladder-preserving therapy is indicated for such patients.
Department of Urology, Tachikawa Kyosai Hospital.
T
T
Tsukamoto
T
T
Fujioka
T
T
Yamauchi
Y
Y
Mori
I
I
Nagakubo
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015653:Cystectomy / Q000379:methods; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*
D016685:Mitomycin; D004317:Doxorubicin