Superficial bladder cancer: timing of check cystoscopies in the first year

We report a prospective study of 141 patients presenting for the first time with a small, solitary, non-invasive, moderately or well differentiated transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. The pattern of recurrence in the first year was assessed and recurrence rates calculated; 80% of patients without recurrence at 3 months remained clear in the first year. There was a highly significant reduction in recurrence rates for those free of recurrence at 3 months. It has been suggested that this group should have the second check cystoscopy at 1 year and yearly cystoscopies thereafter. Our findings support that proposal.