Late recurrence in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer after 5-year cancer-free periods.

OBJECTIVES: There is no consensus about the follow-up schedule after 5-year cancer-free periods. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the risk factors for the recurrence in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer who remained cancer free for more than 5 years. METHODS: Data from six Japanese institutions were retrospectively reviewed. Among the patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer who were treated with transurethral resection of bladder tumor between 1990 and 2013, those who had no recurrence for more than 5 years were included in this study. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox hazards model were used to estimate recurrence-free survival and to determine the pathologic and clinical factors affecting late recurrence. RESULTS: In total, 434 patients were enrolled in this study. Of these patients, 55 patients (12.7%) experienced late recurrence. The median follow-up time was 8.9 years (interquartile range 6.9-11.3 years). Prior history of bladder cancer before the most recent transurethral resection was a significant predictor for late recurrence (hazard ratio 1.99 [95% confidence interval 1.13-3.47], P = 0.019), although other clinical factors including tumor grade, pathologic stage, tumor multiplicity, and current risk classification systems were not associated with late recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Late recurrence after a long tumor-free period is not rare and it was not predicted by current risk classification systems. Only prior history of bladder cancer was a significant predictor for late recurrence in this study.

[Evaluation of autologous transfusion for radical prostatectomy].

Forty-six radical prostatectomy patients in whom an autologous transfusion had been performed in our hospital were studied retrospectively. Preoperative autologous donation (PAD), erythropoietin (EPO) administration and acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) were used for autologous transfusion. Red blood cell volume lost during hospitalization was calculated as 1329 +/- 493 ml. Red blood cell volume saved by PAD and ANH were calculated as 470 +/- 33 ml and 301 +/- 90 ml, respectively. Three patients made use of allogeneic blood transfusion. Radical prostatectomy can be performed using PAD, EPO and ANH without allogeneic transfusion.