Reduced bladder tumour recurrence rate associated with narrow-band imaging surveillance cystoscopy

To evaluate frequency of recurrences among patients with papillary bladder tumours followed sequentially with conventional white-light (WLI) cystoscopy and narrow-band imaging (NBI) cystoscopy.

A cohort of 126 patients with recurrent low-grade papillary bladder tumours were followed every 6 months for 3 years by conventional WLI cystoscopy, and then over the next 3 consecutive years by NBI cystoscopy. Recurrent tumours detected were treated by outpatient fulguration or transurethral resection. We compared the tumour recurrence rate during follow-up with WLI and NBI cystoscopy, using patients as their own controls.

Of the 126 patients, 94% had tumour recurrences during WLI cystoscopy vs 62% during NBI cystoscopy. The mean number of recurrent tumours was 5.2 with WLI cystoscopy vs 2.8 with NBI cystoscopy, and the median recurrence-free survival time was 13 vs 29 months (P= 0.001).

Compared with follow-up with WLI cystoscopy, NBI cystoscopy was associated with fewer patients having tumour recurrences, fewer numbers of recurrent tumours, and a longer recurrence-free survival time.