Non-Invasive Bladder Cancer Treatment

Introduction: Bladder cancer represents a spectrum of diseases ranging from superficial, well-differentiated disease, which does not significantly affect survival, to highly malignant tumors for which long-term survival can be dismal.Materials and Methods: Literature review in the PubMed database published from January 2019 to May 2024 using combinations of the following keywords: bladder cancer, treatment, non-invasive, innovations. References included in previously published review articles were also scanned and relevant papers were included.Results: According to studies reviewed over the past 5 years, approximately 75% of patients with bladder cancer initially present with non-muscle invasive tumors. NMIBC can be classified as low, intermediate, or high risk, depending on the presence of characteristics (such as grade, stage, tumor size, number of tumors, presence of carcinoma in situ, and prior recurrence rate) that increase the likelihood of progression to MIBC.Low-risk NMIBC (solitary, small, low-grade, and noninvasive, pTa) accounts for approximately 50% of all new bladder cancers [5]. Low- and intermediate-risk tumors have a low risk (0.8–6%) of progression to MIBC or bladder cancer-specific mortality within 5 years, but have a high recurrence rate (31–62%), especially if multifocal. International guidelines therefore recommend periodic cystoscopic surveillance for at least 5 years. Tumor recurrence usually requires a new transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TURBT) or cystodiathermy under anesthesia, followed by a return to an intensive cystoscopic surveillance program. This process explains the high cost of long-term treatment of NMIBC, as well as the discomfort and negative effects on health-related quality of life for patients with this condition.Conclusions: Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for improving outcomes, as bladder cancer can range from noninvasive forms, which are limited to the inner layers of the bladder, to invasive types that penetrate deeper and can spread to other parts of the body.