TREATMENT AND COURSE OF SUPERFICIAL BLADD ER-CARCINOMA IN PATIENTS UNDER 30 YEARS OF AGE

Transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder is relatively uncommon in p atients under 30 years old. We treated 11 patients with superficial bl adder carcinoma under 30 years of age. In 20 cases gross haematuria wa s the most common presenting symptom. The pathological reports of the patients revealed grade I, stage Ta transitional cell carcinoma in sev en patients, grade I, stage T1 tumour in two patients and bladder myom a and inverted papilloma in two patients each. Four of nine patients w ith superficial bladder carcinoma stayed free of disease for 1-10 year s after initial transurethral resection (TUR). Four patients suffered multiple tumour recurrences 1-4 months after initial TUR, with progres sive disease in three cases. One patient was lost to follow-up after p rimary operation. In the two patients with benign bladder tumours, no recurrences were observed within 12 and 48-months. Owing to the high r ates of recurrence (44%) and tumour progression (33%) all patients und er 30 years of age should be treated as aggressively as necessary on t he basis of the grade and stage of the tumour, in the same way older p atients.