Catto - Figure 5
Problem
FIG. 5: The fall in incidence of bladder cancer without a fall in survival rates presents a problem. This is an expensive cancer that is consuming 3% of all cancer costs, which can account for almost €10 per person in some European countries.[2] Despite this expenditure, the outcomes of many patients over time is not improving.[5] Bladder cancer is probably one of only a few solid cancers where survival rates are not improving, year-on-year, and clinicians who treat bladder cancer must try to resolve this conundrum. I believe that part of the solution lies in patient follow-up. We are currently spending a lot of money and energy following up patients, but in the wrong fashion. As clinicians we should try to re-focus our approach, and this will be the topic of this presentation.
References
Leal J, Luengo-Fernandez R, Sullivan R, Witjes JA. Economic burden of bladder cancer across the European Union. Eur Urol. 2016;69:438–47 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2015.10.024
Zehnder P, Studer UE, Skinner EC, et al. Unaltered oncological outcomes of radical cystectomy with extended lymphadenectomy over three decades. BJU Int. 2013;112:E51–8 https://doi.org/10.1111/bju.12215
