Treatment of Non-Metastatic Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: AUA/ASCO/SUO GUIDELINE (2017; Amended 2020, 2024).

PURPOSE: Although representing approximately 25% of patients diagnosed with bladder cancer, muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) carries a significant risk of death that has not significantly changed in decades. Increasingly, clinicians and patients recognize the importance of multidisciplinary collaborative efforts that take into account survival and quality of life concerns. This guideline provides a risk-stratified, clinical framework for the management of muscle-invasive urothelial bladder cancer. METHODOLOGY/METHODS: In 2024, the MIBC guideline was updated through the AUA amendment process in which newly published literature is reviewed and integrated into previously published guidelines in an effort to maintain currency. The amendment allowed for the incorporation of additional literature released since the previous 2020 amendment. The updated search gathered literature from May 2020 to November 2023. This review identified 3739 abstracts, of which 46 met inclusion criteria.When sufficient evidence existed, the body of evidence was assigned a strength rating of A (high), B (moderate), or C (low) for support of Strong, Moderate, or Conditional Recommendations. In the absence of sufficient evidence, additional information is provided as Clinical Principles and Expert Opinions. RESULTS: Updates were made regarding neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy, radical cystectomy, pelvic lymphadenectomy, multi-modal bladder preserving therapy, and future directions. Further revisions were made to the methodology and reference sections as appropriate. CONCLUSIONS: This guideline seeks to improve clinicians' ability to evaluate and treat patients with MIBC based on currently available evidence. Future studies will be essential to further support or refine these statements to improve patient care.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: AUA/SUO Guideline: 2024 Amendment.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this American Urological Association (AUA)/Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) guideline amendment is to provide a useful reference on the effective evidence-based treatment strategies for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 2023, the NMIBC guideline was updated through the AUA amendment process in which newly published literature is reviewed and integrated into previously published guidelines in an effort to maintain currency. The amendment allowed for the incorporation of additional literature released since the previous 2020 amendment. The updated search gathered literature from July 2019 to May 2023. This review identified 1918 abstracts, of which 75 met inclusion criteria.When sufficient evidence existed, the body of evidence was assigned a strength rating of A (high), B (moderate), or C (low) in support of Strong, Moderate, or Conditional Recommendations. In the absence of sufficient evidence, additional information is provided as Clinical Principles and Expert Opinions. RESULTS: Updates were made to statements on variant histologies, urine markers after diagnosis of bladder cancer, intravesical therapy, BCG maintenance, enhanced cystoscopy, and future directions. Further revisions were made to the methodology and reference sections as appropriate. CONCLUSIONS: This guideline seeks to improve clinicians' ability to evaluate and treat patients with NMIBC based on currently available evidence. Future studies will be essential to further support or refine these statements to improve patient care.

Updates to Advanced Prostate Cancer: AUA/SUO Guideline (2023).

PURPOSE: In 2022 the American Urological Association (AUA) requested an Update Literature Review (ULR) to incorporate new evidence generated since the 2020 publication of this guideline. The resulting 2023 Guideline Amendment addresses updated recommendations for patients with advanced prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ULR addressed 23 of the original 38 guideline statements and included an abstract-level review of eligible studies published since the 2020 systematic review. Sixteen studies were selected for full text review. The current summary presents the updates made to the Guideline as a result of that new literature. RESULTS: The Advanced Prostate Cancer Panel amended evidence- and consensus-based statements based on an updated review to aid clinicians in the management of patients with advanced prostate cancer. These statements are detailed herein. CONCLUSION: This Guideline Amendment provides a framework designed to improve a clinician's ability to treat patients diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer with the most current evidence-based information. Further research and publication of high-quality clinical trials will be essential to continue to improve the quality of care for these patients.

Diagnosis and Management of Non-Metastatic Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: AUA/SUO Guideline.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this guideline is to provide a useful reference on the effective evidence-based diagnoses and management of non-metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). MATERIALS/METHODS: The Pacific Northwest Evidence-based Practice Center of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) team conducted searches in Ovid MEDLINE (1946 to March 3rd, 2022), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (through January 2022), and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (through January 2022). The searches were updated August 2022. When sufficient evidence existed, the body of evidence was assigned a strength rating of A (high), B (moderate), or C (low) for support of Strong, Moderate, or Conditional Recommendations. In the absence of sufficient evidence, additional information is provided as Clinical Principles and Expert Opinions (Table 1).[Table: see text]Results:This Guideline provides updated, evidence-based recommendations regarding diagnosis and management of non-metastatic UTUC including risk stratification, surveillance and survivorship. Treatments discussed include kidney sparing management, surgical management, lymph node dissection (LND), neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy and immunotherapy. CONCLUSION: This standardized guideline seeks to improve clinicians' ability to evaluate and treat patients with UTUC based on available evidence. Future studies will be essential to further support these statements for improving patient care. Updates will occur as the knowledge regarding disease biology, clinical behavior and new therapeutic options develop.

Epidemiology of and Risk Factors for Coronavirus Infection in Health Care Workers: A Living Rapid Review.

BACKGROUND: Health care workers (HCWs) are at risk for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. PURPOSE: To examine the burden of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1, and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV on HCWs and risk factors for infection, using rapid and living review methods. DATA SOURCES: Multiple electronic databases, including the WHO database of publications on coronavirus disease and the medRxiv preprint server (2003 through 27 March 2020, with ongoing surveillance through 24 April 2020), and reference lists. STUDY SELECTION: Studies published in any language reporting incidence of or outcomes associated with coronavirus infections in HCWs and studies on the association between risk factors (demographic characteristics, role, exposures, environmental and administrative factors, and personal protective equipment [PPE] use) and HCW infections. New evidence will be incorporated on an ongoing basis by using living review methods. DATA EXTRACTION: One reviewer abstracted data and assessed methodological limitations; verification was done by a second reviewer. DATA SYNTHESIS: 64 studies met inclusion criteria; 43 studies addressed burden of HCW infections (15 on SARS-CoV-2), and 34 studies addressed risk factors (3 on SARS-CoV-2). Health care workers accounted for a significant proportion of coronavirus infections and may experience particularly high infection incidence after unprotected exposures. Illness severity was lower than in non-HCWs. Depression, anxiety, and psychological distress were common in HCWs during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak. The strongest evidence on risk factors was on PPE use and decreased infection risk. The association was most consistent for masks but was also observed for gloves, gowns, eye protection, and handwashing; evidence suggested a dose-response relationship. No study evaluated PPE reuse. Certain exposures (such as involvement in intubations, direct patient contact, or contact with bodily secretions) were associated with increased infection risk. Infection control training was associated with decreased risk. LIMITATION: There were few studies on risk factors for SARS-CoV-2, the studies had methodological limitations, and streamlined rapid review methods were used. CONCLUSION: Health care workers experience significant burdens from coronavirus infections, including SARS-CoV-2. Use of PPE and infection control training are associated with decreased infection risk, and certain exposures are associated with increased risk. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: World Health Organization.

Interventions to reduce inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics for acute respiratory tract infections: summary and update of a systematic review.

Objective Antibiotic overuse contributes to antibiotic resistance and adverse consequences. Acute respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are the most common reason for antibiotic prescribing in primary care, but such infections often do not require antibiotics. We summarized and updated a previously performed systematic review of interventions to reduce inappropriate use of antibiotics for acute RTIs. Methods To update the review, we searched MEDLINE®, the Cochrane Library (until January 2018), and reference lists. Two reviewers selected the studies, extracted the study data, and assessed the quality and strength of evidence. Results Twenty-six interventions were evaluated in 95 mostly fair-quality studies. The following four interventions had moderate-strength evidence of improved/reduced antibiotic prescribing and low-strength evidence of no adverse consequences: parent education (21% reduction, no increase return visits), combined patient/clinician education (7% reduction, no change in complications/satisfaction), procalcitonin testing for adults with RTIs of the lower respiratory tract (12%-72% reduction, no increased adverse consequences), and electronic decision support systems (24%-47% improvement in appropriate prescribing, 5%-9% reduction, no increased complications). Conclusions The best evidence supports use of specific educational interventions, procalcitonin testing in adults, and electronic decision support to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for acute RTIs without causing adverse consequences.

A systematic review of clinic and community intervention to increase fecal testing for colorectal cancer in rural and low-income populations in the United States - How, what and when?

BACKGROUND: Interventions to improve fecal testing for colorectal cancer (CRC) exist, but are not yet routine practice. We conducted this systematic review to determine how implementation strategies and contextual factors influenced the uptake of interventions to increase Fecal Immunochemical Tests (FIT) and Fecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT) for CRC in rural and low-income populations in the United States. METHODS: We searched Medline and the Cochrane Library from January 1998 through July 2016, and Scopus and clinicaltrials.gov through March 2015, for original articles of interventions to increase fecal testing for CRC. Two reviewers independently screened abstracts, reviewed full-text articles, extracted data and performed quality assessments. A qualitative synthesis described the relationship between changes in fecal testing rates for CRC, intervention components, implementation strategies, and contextual factors. A technical expert panel of primary care professionals, health system leaders, and academicians guided this work. RESULTS: Of 4218 citations initially identified, 27 unique studies reported in 29 publications met inclusion criteria. Studies were conducted in primary care (n = 20, 74.1%), community (n = 5, 18.5%), or both (n = 2, 7.4%) settings. All studies (n = 27, 100.0%) described multicomponent interventions. In clinic based studies, components that occurred most frequently among the highly effective/effective study arms were provision of kits by direct mail, use of a pre-addressed stamped envelope, client reminders, and provider ordered in-clinic distribution. Interventions were delivered by clinic staff/community members (n = 10, 37.0%), research staff (n = 6, 22.2%), both (n = 10, 37.0%), or it was unclear (n = 1, 3.7%). Over half of the studies lacked information on training or monitoring intervention fidelity (n = 15, 55.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Studies to improve FIT/FOBT in rural and low-income populations utilized multicomponent interventions. The provision of kits through the mail, use of pre-addressed stamped envelopes, client reminders and in-clinic distribution appeared most frequently in the highly effective/effective clinic-based study arms. Few studies described contextual factors or implementation strategies. More robust application of guidelines to support reporting on methods to select, adapt and implement interventions can help end users determine not just which interventions work to improve CRC screening, but which interventions would work best in their setting given specific patient populations, clinical settings, and community characteristics. TRIAL REGISTRATION: In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, our systematic review protocol was registered with PROSPERO, the international prospective register of systematic reviews, on April 16, 2015 (registration number CRD42015019557 ).

Comparative Effectiveness of Fluorescent Versus White Light Cystoscopy for Initial Diagnosis or Surveillance of Bladder Cancer on Clinical Outcomes: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: We systematically reviewed the comparative effectiveness of fluorescent vs white light cystoscopy on bladder cancer clinical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Systematic literature searches of Ovid MEDLINE® (January 1990 through September 2015), Cochrane databases and reference lists were performed. A total of 14 randomized trials of fluorescent cystoscopy using 5-aminolevulinic acid or hexaminolevulinic acid vs white light cystoscopy for the diagnosis of initial or recurrent bladder cancer that reported bladder cancer recurrence, progression, mortality and harms were selected for review. RESULTS: Fluorescent cystoscopy was associated with a decreased risk of bladder cancer recurrence vs white light cystoscopy at short-term (less than 3 months, 10 trials, RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.88, I2=69%), intermediate-term (3 months to less than 1 year, 6 trials, RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.88, I2=19%) and long-term followup (1 year or more, 12 trials, RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.93, I2=49%). However, the findings were inconsistent, and potentially susceptible to performance and publication bias (strength of evidence low). There were no differences between cystoscopic methods in risk of mortality (3 trials, RR 1.28, 95% CI 0.55 to 2.95, I2=41%) (strength of evidence low) or progression (9 trials, RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.03, I2=0%) (strength of evidence moderate). Estimates for short-term recurrence (6 trials, RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.38 to 1.00), long-term recurrence (7 trials, RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.92) and progression (4 trials, RR 0.51, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.96) were statistically significant in the subgroup of trials that used hexaminolevulinic acid, but there were no statistically significant interactions based on the photosensitizer used. Fluorescent cystoscopy was not associated with a decreased risk of long-term recurrence in 3 trials that used methods to reduce performance bias with initial cystoscopy (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.18, I2=36%). Data on harms were sparse. CONCLUSIONS: Fluorescent cystoscopy was associated with a reduced risk of bladder cancer recurrence vs white light cystoscopy. However, additional trials that adequately guard against performance bias are needed to confirm these findings. Fluorescent cystoscopy with hexaminolevulinic acid may be associated with a decreased risk of progression, but more studies with long-term followup are needed to better understand the effects of the photosensitizer used on progression.

Intravesical Therapy for the Treatment of Nonmuscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: We systematically review the benefits and harms of intravesical therapies for nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Systematic literature searches were performed of Ovid MEDLINE (January 1990 through February 2016), the Cochrane databases and reference lists. Randomized and quasi-randomized trials of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin, mitomycin C, gemcitabine, thiotepa, valrubicin, doxorubicin, epirubicin and interferon vs transurethral bladder tumor resection alone, and head-to-head trials of intravesical therapies were selected. Data were pooled using a random effects model. RESULTS: Overall 39 trials evaluated adjuvant intravesical therapy vs transurethral bladder tumor resection alone. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin was associated with a decreased risk of bladder cancer recurrence (3 trials, RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.43-0.71) and progression (4 trials, RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.24-0.64) (strength of evidence low). Mitomycin C, doxorubicin, epirubicin and thiotepa were also associated with a decreased risk of recurrence, with no difference in risk of progression (strength of evidence low). There were 55 trials that compared one intravesical therapy agent against another. There were no differences between bacillus Calmette-Guérin vs mitomycin C in recurrence risk (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.81-1.11), but bacillus Calmette-Guérin was associated with a decreased risk of recurrence in the subgroup of trials of maintenance regimens (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.71-0.87, strength of evidence low). Bacillus Calmette-Guérin was associated with a lower recurrence risk vs doxorubicin, epirubicin, interferon alpha-2a, bacillus Calmette-Guérin plus interferon alpha-2b, and thiotepa (strength of evidence low to moderate). Bacillus Calmette-Guérin was associated with higher rates of local and systemic adverse events than other intravesical agents (strength of evidence low). Head-to-head trials showed no clear differences between standard and lower doses of bacillus Calmette-Guérin in recurrence, progression or mortality risk (strength of evidence low). Limited evidence suggested that bacillus Calmette-Guérin maintenance regimens are associated with reduced recurrence risk vs no further intravesical therapy in responders to induction therapy (strength of evidence low). CONCLUSIONS: For nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer several intravesical therapies are associated with a decreased risk of recurrence vs transurethral bladder tumor resection alone. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin is the only agent associated with a decreased progression risk vs transurethral bladder tumor resection alone, but may be associated with a higher risk of adverse events than other intravesical therapies, indicating trade-offs between potential benefits and harms.