title: High-grade Ta urothelial carcinoma and carcinoma in situ of the bladder.
abstract: We sought to review the definition, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of high-grade Ta urothelioma carcinoma and carcinomas in situ (CIS) in order to provide evidence-based guidelines for their diagnosis and treatment. The English-language literature on high-grade Ta urothelial carcinoma and CIS was identified and critically reviewed by a panel of 9 international experts. The panel then met at a consensus conference to present their conclusions. Levels of evidence and grades of recommendation were assessed. Findings from approximately 100 publications appearing prior to February 2005 were reviewed and summarized. High-grade Ta urothelial carcinoma and CIS are relatively rare tumors; thus results are often based on small nonrandomized studies. Their assessment is made more difficult owing to inaccuracies in staging and grading. Although there were similar numbers of level 1, level 2, and level 3 evidence citations, guidelines have been developed based only on levels of evidence supporting grade A and grade B recommendations. These evidence-based guidelines have been developed to aid clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with high-grade Ta urothelial carcinoma and CIS.
authors.affiliation: European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Data Center, Brussels, Belgium. richard.sylvester@eortc.be
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Sylvester
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Meijden
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Witjes
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jakse
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nonomura
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: Karl Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kurth
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011379:Prognosis; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy