Surveillance Protocols: Balancing Patient Burden and Cancer Control

Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in males, and roughly 75% of new bladder cancer is non-muscle-invasive. Traditional surveillance protocols are costly and time-intensive for patients. Some studies report that more than half of patients with low-risk bladder cancer undergo too many surveillance procedures, and one-third of the patients with high-risk bladder cancer do not undergo enough procedures. As technology improves, surveillance protocols may deintensify the use of cystoscopy and incorporate less invasive alternatives. There is a great deal of ongoing research in noninvasive tests that may be used for surveillance in the future.