Background: Follow-up after radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer can be divided into oncological and functional surveillance. It remains unclear how follow-up after RC should ideally be scheduled. The aim of this report was to gain insight into the organization of follow-up after RC in Europe, for which we conducted a roundtable inventory within the EAU Young Academic Urologists Urothelial Cancer working group. Methods: An inventory semi-structured survey was performed among urologists of the EAU Young Academic Urologists Urothelial Cancer working group to describe the organization of follow-up. The surveys were analyzed using a deductive approach. Similarities and differences in follow-up after RC for bladder cancer were described. Results: The survey included 11 urologists from six different European countries. An institutional follow-up scheme was used by six (55%); three (27%) used a national or international guideline, and two (18%) indicated that there was no defined follow-up scheme. Major divergent aspects included the time points of follow-up, the frequency, and the end of follow-up. Six centers (55%) adopted a risk-adapted follow-up approach tailored to (varying) patient and tumor characteristics. Laboratory tests and CT scans were used in all cases; however, the intensity and frequency varied. Functional follow-up overlapped with oncological follow-up in terms of frequency and duration. Patient-reported outcome measures were only used by two (18%) urologists. Conclusions: Substantial variability exists across European centers regarding the follow-up after RC for bladder cancer. This highlights the need for an international analysis focusing on its organization and content as well as on opportunities to improve patients' needs during follow-up after RC.
Journal of clinical medicine. 2024 Apr 30*** epublish ***
Roberto Contieri, Renate Pichler, Francesco Del Giudice, Gautier Marcq, Andrea Gallioli, Simone Albisinni, Francesco Soria, David d'Andrea, Wojciech Krajewski, Diego M Carrion, Andrea Mari, Bas W G van Rhijn, Marco Moschini, Benjamin Pradere, Laura S Mertens, EAU Young Academic Urologists Urothelial Cancer Working Group
Department of Urology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands., Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria., Department of Maternal Infant and Urologic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, 00185 Rome, Italy., Urology Department, Claude Huriez Hospital, CHU Lille, F-59000 Lille, France., Department of Urology, Fundació Puigvert, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain., Urology Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Tor Vergata University Hospital, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy., Division of Urology, Department of Surgical Sciences, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Torino School of Medicine, 10126 Torino, Italy., Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria., Department of Minimally Invasive Robotic Urology Center of Excellence in Urology, Wrocław Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland., Department of Urology, Torrejon University Hospital, 28850 Madrid, Spain., Oncologic Minimally Invasive Urology and Andrology Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Careggi Hospital, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy., Department of Urology, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy., Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.