Comparison of thulium and holmium lasers with conventional transurethral bladder resection for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

Abstract

Introduction. The gold standard of treatment for intermediate- and high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB) in combination with intravesical therapy. However, this procedure may cause serious complications. At the same time, studies of various lasers for the treatment of NMIBC have demonstrated their safety and efficacy. Despite this, the topic has not yet been fully explored and is not widely practiced in clinical oncology, making further research necessary.Objective. To compare thulium and holmium lasers with conventional TURB for management of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).Materials & methods. In our study, depending on the treatment approach, 84 NMIBC-patients were divided into three groups. Group 1 included 27 patients (34.14%), who underwent laser thulium bladder resection; group 2 included 25 patients (29.76%), who underwent laser holmium bladder resection, and group 3 included 32 patients (38.1%), who underwent standard TURB. Prior to surgery, all patients received a standard set of preoperative general clinical and instrumental examinations for bladder cancer, and the choice of surgical approach was based on informed patient consent, taking into account the benefits and risks of the three treatment options. All surgeries were performed in accordance with established protocols.Results. In the TURB group, the surgery time was the longest and totalled in 20.5 ± 7.4 min. Laser technologies reduce the surgery time to 16.3 ± 5.3 min for a holmium laser and to 14.7 ± 5.2 min for a thulium laser. Also, in groups 1 and 2, a shorter duration of postoperative bladder irrigation was noted (4.4 ± 1.8 and 4.7 ± 1.6 hours) and shorter periods of postoperative bladder catheterisation (1.5 ± 0.08 and 1.6 ± 0.08 days) compared to group 3, where these indicators were 16.4 ± 2.5 hours and 2.5 ± 0.13 days, respectively. Among patients undergoing either holmium or thulium surgery, a higher rate of disease-free survival has been noted. Independent prognostic factors that influence the prognosis of NMIBC in all groups include the type of surgery, history of bladder tumors, and pathological stage.Conclusion. The use of laser technology, such as thulium and holmium laser, in bladder wall resection for NMIBC shows promising results and provides a good clinical outcome that is comparable to (and in some cases, superior to) standard TURB.