Surgical management of noninvasive bladder cancer (stages Ta/T1/CIS).

Transurethral removal of bladder cancer is performed for diagnostic and therapeutic reasons. Tissue is returned for histologic determination of tumor grade and stage. For tumors that do not invade the detrusor muscle, resection can be curative although there is a high rate of new tumor occurrence. Surgical removal not only eradicates visible existing lesions but also retrieves material for histologic evaluation. This examination allows a determination of tumor grade as well as stage. Because of the importance of good histologic information in determining prognosis and, possibly, the need for further therapy, the method of surgical removal is important.