Ismail S, et al. - Researchers pursued an appraisal of the epidemiology, diagnosis, management and prognosis of bladder cancer in the neuro-urological patients. The intention was to formulate a framework for future recommendations and research. The significance of long-term follow-up in the study cohort was underscored by the prevalence and high mortality rate of bladder cancer in neuro-urological patients. This, in turn, emphasized the requirement of prospective trials in this field.

Methods

• This reseach was performed on the basis of the PRISMA-Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes Statement.
• An inquiry was conducted of the Embase for studies providing data on epidemiology, diagnosis, management and prognosis of bladder cancer in neuro-urological patients.

Results

• After screening 637 abstracts, researchers included 15 studies (13 retrospective and 2 prospective studies).
• A total of 332 patients (0.3%) who were diagnosed with bladder cancer were identified.
• The affection was commonly noted in men (59.3%) and spinal cord injured patients (98.8%).
• Mean age at diagnosis was 56.1 years.
• The occurrence of bladder cancer was found after a long period of evolution of the neurological disease (24.9 years).
• The predominating presenting symptom was disclosed to be gross hematuria (31.6% of cases).
• In 44.5% of patients, experts used indwelling urethral or supra-pubic catheters.
• As per the outcomes, transitional cell carcinoma (53.1%) was displayed as the most frequent histological subtype of bladder cancer, followed by squamous cell carcinoma (33.5%).
• In 67.7% of the subjects, the authors found muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
• Herein, the mean cancer-specific mortality rate was discovered to be 47.1%.