ABSTRACT
SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the impact of tumor necrosis in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer on patients' recurrence and progression rates and survival outcomes. METHODS: This study was conducted retrospectively in a single tertiary center in Turkey. Medical records of patients who underwent transurethral resection of the bladder tumor between January 2016 and January 2021 were reviewed. Patients with pTa and pT1 non-muscle invasive bladder cancer who had undergone complete resection were included in our study. All pathological specimens were reevaluated for the presence of tumor necrosis. RESULTS: A total of 287 patients (244 males and 43 females) were included in our study. Of them, 33 (11.5%) patients had tumor necrosis. The rates of multiple and large tumors (>3 cm) were higher in patients with tumor necrosis (p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively). Tumor necrosis was associated with higher rates of pT1 diseases (p<0.001), high-grade tumors (p<0.001), and the presence of lymphovascular invasion (p=0.007). The mean recurrence-free survival of patients with tumor necrosis was 42.3 (4.6) months, and the recurrence-free survival of patients without tumor necrosis was 43.5 (1.8) months (p=0.720). The mean progression-free survival of patients with tumor necrosis was 43.1 (4.6) months, and the progression-free survival of patients without tumor necrosis was 58.4 (0.9) months. In log-rank analysis, there was a statistically significant difference between patients with and without tumor necrosis in terms of progression-free survival (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In this study, we demonstrated that patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and tumor necrosis in pathological specimens have shorter progression-free survival and more adverse pathological features.
ABSTRACT
Metastatic bladder tumors constitute <5% of all bladder tumors and metastatic malignant melanoma of the urinary bladder is very rare. We present a case report of a metastatic malignant melanoma of the urinary bladder. A 70‑year‑old woman without any apparent significant clinical history was admitted to the Department of Urology for gross hematuria. Microscopic findings of the transurethral resection specimen revealed fascicles, sheets, and diffuse areas composed of oval and fusiform cells with focal pigmentation. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the tumor cells were positive for human melanoma black‑45, Melan‑A, and S100, and negative for pancytokeratin. Subsequently, we contacted the patient and learned that she was admitted to the Department of Ophthalmology for painless and progressive visual field loss 15 years ago. She had been diagnosed with a primary ocular (uveal) melanoma. A detailed patient history coupled with histological and immunohistochemical findings were necessary to make the final diagnosis of metastatic melanoma.