Comparing the treatment outcomes of potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser vaporization and transurethral electroresection for primary nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer: A prospective, randomized study.

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVES

In urology, potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) laser is mainly used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia with a low rate of intraoperative and postoperative complications. A prospective, randomized study was undertaken to investigate the treatment outcomes of KTP laser vaporization for primary non-muscle-invasive bladder tumors (NMIBTs) as compared with conventional monopolar transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT).

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This study was designed as a prospective, randomized trial. After institutional review board approval, 229 consecutive patients with NMIBTs were randomized to 2 groups. Among them, 116 patients underwent KTP laser vaporization of a bladder tumor (laser group) and 113 patients underwent standard transurethral electroresection of the bladder tumors using monopolar loop electrode (TURBT group). According to the prognostic factors for recurrence, all patients were divided into low, intermediate or high risk subgroups. The clinical data were recorded and compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Eighty-nine patients in laser group and 94 in TURBT group were evaluable for the study end points. The preoperative characteristics of the patients were comparable in the two groups. There was no statistical difference in operation time between the two groups. Patients in the laser group had fewer perioperative complications and more patients needed bladder irrigation in the TURBT group. Compared with laser group, patients in the TURBT group had longer catheterization time and hospitalization duration. There were no statistical differences in the oncologic results in term of 2-year recurrence rates as compared between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that using KTP laser, transurethral vaporization is an effective and safe treatment for the patients with primary NMIBT. Compared with traditional TURBT, the KTP laser surgery had fewer perioperative complications and similar oncological results.