Impact of an optimized surveillance protocol based on the European Association of Urology substratification on surveillance costs in patients with primary high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer

OBJECTIVES: The optimal frequency and duration of surveillance in patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) remain unclear. The aim of the present study is to develop an optimal surveillance protocol based on the European Association of Urology (EAU) substratification in order to improve surveillance costs after transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) in patients with primary high-risk NMIBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 428 patients with primary high-risk NMIBC who underwent TURBT from November 1993 to April 2019. Patients were substratified into the highest-risk and high-risk without highest-risk groups based on the EAU guidelines. An optimized surveillance protocol that enhances cost-effectiveness was then developed using real incidences of recurrence after TURBT. A recurrence detection rate ([number of patients with recurrence / number of patients with surveillance] × 100) of ≥ 1% during a certain period indicated that routine surveillance was necessary in this period. The 10-year total surveillance cost was compared between the EAU guidelines-based protocol and the optimized surveillance protocol developed herein. RESULTS: Among the 428 patients with primary high-risk NMIBC, 97 (23%) were substratified into the highest-risk group. Patients in the highest-risk group had a significantly shorter recurrence-free survival than those in the high-risk without highest-risk group. The optimized surveillance protocol promoted a 40% reduction ($394,990) in the 10-year total surveillance cost compared to the EAU guidelines-based surveillance protocol. CONCLUSION: The optimized surveillance protocol based on the EAU substratification could potentially reduce over investigation during follow-up and improve surveillance costs after TURBT in patients with primary high-risk NMIBC.