IMPACT OF TUMOR GRADE, STAGE, NUMBER AND SIZE, SMOKING-HABITS AND SEXON THE RECURRENCE RATE AND DISEASE-FREE INTERVAL IN PATIENTS WITH TRANSITIONAL-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE BLADDER

The recurrence rate and the time interval until the first recurrence w ere analysed in 169 consecutive conservatively treated patients with t ransitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder, in relation to init ial tumour grade, number, size and stage, sex and smoking habits, at l east five years after the diagnosis of the disease. The recurrence rat e was higher among patients with more than three tumours and among pat ients with an invasive disease, while tumour size, histological grade and sex had no effect on the recurrence rate. The time until the first recurrence was found to be shorter among patients with an invasive di sease and those with more than three tumours, and also among females. Smoking did not have any impact on the disease-free interval or on rec urrence. We suggest that patients with multiple tumours are at great r isk of recurrent disease. If invasion into muscle is found, the risk o f recurrences will be high, and transurethral electroresection might n ot be an adequate form of therapy.