[Treatment of superficial bladder tumor]

Every year in Germany approximately 12,000 people are afflicted by superficial carcinoma of the urinary bladder. In addition, the number of recurrences is not inconsiderable. The goal of optimal therapy, therefore, is not only to cure the patients but also to lower the high rate of recurrence by appropriate prophylaxis. After transurethral resection, treatment options include various topical modalities of instillation therapy, e.g., chemotherapy or immunotherapy. The individual decision on which treatment modality is chosen should be based on the risk of relapse and the progression of the tumor. This depends on tumor stage, degree of differentiation, and the presence of recurrence. Some treatment options, such as instillation of bacillus Calmette-Guérin, have been validated by large randomized studies in the sense of evidence-based medicine.