title: Long-term oncological outcomes of an active surveillance program in recurrent low grade Ta bladder cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the last 2 decades, there has been a major increase in active surveillance (AS) as a therapeutic alternative in urological tumors regarded to be of low risk. Owing to the findings of significant clinical outcomes in our series, this report presents an update of our AS program in patients with recurrent non-muscle-invasive bladder tumor. The objective was to confirm the oncological long-term safety of this protocol and to determine possible variables associated with progression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort of patients included in AS between 1999 and 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  recurrent papillary tumors, previous pTa-pT1, G1-G2, shorter than 1cm, and fewer than 5 tumour sites.
  
  
  METHODS
  prior G3, CIS (carcinoma in situ), or positive-result cytology. All patients underwent close monitoring with flexible cystoscopy every 3 to 4 months for the first 2 years. After this time, follow-ups were conducted every 6 months, alternating between cystoscopy and ultrasound. Urinary cytology test was performed at all visits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 252 AS periods in 186 patients were studied, with a median follow-up of 6 years. Out of all periods, 203 (80.6%) underwent active treatment. After remaining under observation, 86.4% had not progressed in stage, and 79.3% in grade. Of these patients, 4 experienced progression to T2; all of them were previously T1G2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AS in a high-selectivity group of patients with recurrent non-muscle-invasive bladder tumor is feasible and oncologically safe in the long term. Patients with previous history of T1 should not be included in AS protocols even when very small recurrences are diagnosed.
authors.affiliation: Urology Department, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: vhernandez@fhalcorcon.es.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.affiliation: Urology Department, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Llorente
authors.affiliation: Urology Department, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de la Peña
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Elia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pérez-Fernández
authors.affiliation: Urology Department, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guijarro
authors.affiliation: Urology Department, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sola
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007157:Immunologic Surveillance; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Disease progression; Recurrence; Urinary bladder neoplasms; Watchful waiting