Cystoscopic suction diathermy for the treatment of superficial bladder tumours.

The treatment of superficial bladder tumours (Ta, T1) is a time-consuming exercise for urological surgeons and patients. A method of treating the tumours, whether primary or recurrent, by endoscopic suction diathermy has been developed. The technique significantly reduces the amount of tumour debris within the bladder during treatment as well as the amount of diathermy employed. By removing the free tumour cells in the irrigation fluid the risk of tumour cell implantation may be kept to a minimum.