Recurrent Bacteriuria as a Prognosis Marker in the Adjuvant Treatment of Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Bacteriuria may affect the response to adjuvant therapy in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The main aim of this study was to examine the effect of recurrent bacteriuria (RB) on the prognosis of NMIBC in women receiving intravesical therapy.

We designed a prospective observational study from 2012 to 2019. We included women with bladder cancer treated with transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB) and adjuvant intravesical treatment. Significant bacteriuria was defined as a presence in urine cultures at or above 100,000 colony-forming units per millilitre. The recurrent bacteriuria group included patients with significant bacteriuria in at least two determinations in 6 months or in 3 or more determinations in a year. The institutional board approved the study.

One hundred thirty-six patients diagnosed with NMIBC participate in the study, of whom 100 met the inclusion criteria. During follow-up, 48 were categorized in the RB group and 52 formed the non-bacteriuria group (NB).

Eight patients (16.67%) experiencing a recurrence of the same grade, with no progression to a higher-grade tumor or muscle-invasive tumor. In the NB group, 18 (34.6%) patients presented a recurrence (P = .001) and 22 (42.3%) progressed to a higher-grade tumor or muscular invasion (P = .001). The presence of RB was identified as a predictor of good response in multivariate regression with a relative risk of 0.13 (P = .018) CONCLUSIONS: Female patients with RB had a better response to adjuvant treatment for NMIBC. The RB group showed lower rates of tumor recurrences and progression.