Comparison of Immediate Bladder Photodynamic Therapy and Non-Immediate Therapy in Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Single-Center Retrospective Clinical Study

Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is a common and recurrent malignancy, presenting a challenge in post-operative management. Immediate intravesical therapies have been proposed to reduce recurrence, but the combined efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with these treatments remains unclear. This study evaluates the therapeutic efficacy of immediate bladder PDT compared to non-immediate PDT in NMIBC patients. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 102 patients, with 29 receiving immediate PDT and 73 undergoing non-immediate PDT. Patient baseline characteristics were compared, and Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate recurrence-free survival (RFS). No significant differences in tumor recurrence, progression scores, or RFS were observed between the two groups. The follow-up period was significantly longer for the immediate PDT group (P = 0.028). Immediate PDT is comparable to non-immediate PDT in terms of therapeutic efficacy for NMIBC patients, suggesting no added benefit of immediate therapy for recurrence prevention.