Photodynamic Therapy Combined with Intravesical Chemotherapy in Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) has high recurrence and progression rates, necessitating effective adjuvant therapies. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with intravesical chemotherapy may offer an improved treatment strategy. This study assesses the efficacy of this combined approach in reducing 1-year recurrence rates in NMIBC patients. A retrospective analysis of 102 NMIBC patients treated with PDT and intravesical chemotherapy (or BCG) was conducted. Patients were stratified by EORTC recurrence risk scores. Actual 1-year recurrence rates were compared with EORTC-predicted rates, and Kaplan-Meier analysis evaluated recurrence-free survival (RFS). The cohort had a mean age of 62.8 years, with 79.6%, 75.9%, and 64.1% RFS at 12, 24, and 36 months, respectively. The difference between predicted and actual 1-year recurrence rates was larger in low-risk groups (15%–16.3%) and smaller in high-risk groups (9.7%–11%). PDT combined with chemotherapy effectively reduces recurrence in NMIBC, especially in low-to-moderate-risk patients. Further studies are needed for long-term validation.