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BackgroundPrevious research has associated repeated transurethral procedures after a diagnosis of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with increased risk of death of causes other than bladder cancer.AimWe investigated the overall and disease-specific risk of death in patients with NMIBC compared to a background population sample.MethodsWe utilized the database BladderBaSe 2.0 containing tumor-specific, health-related and socio-demographic information for 38,547 patients with NMIBC not primarily treated with radical cystectomy and 192,733 individuals in a comparison cohort, matched on age, gender, and county of residence. The cohorts were compared using Kaplan-Meier curves and Hazard ratios (HR) from a Cox regression models. In the NMIBC cohort, we analyzed the association between number of transurethral procedures and death conditioned on surviving two or five years.ResultsOverall survival and survival from causes other than bladder cancer estimated with Kaplan-Meier curves was 9.3% (95% confidence interval (CI) (8.6%-10.0%)) and 1.4% (95% CI 0.7%-2.1%) lower respectively for the NMIBC cohort compared to the comparison cohort at ten years. In a Cox model adjusted for prognostic group, educational level and comorbidity, the HR was 1.03 (95% CI 1.01-1.05) for death from causes other than bladder cancer comparing the NMIBC cohort to the comparison cohort. Among the NMIBC patients, there was no discernible association between number of transurethral procedures and deaths of causes other than bladder cancer after adjustment. The number of procedures were, however, associated with risk of dying from bladder cancer HR 3.56 (95% CI 3.43-3.68) for four or more resections versus one within two years of follow-up.ConclusionThe results indicate that repeated diagnostic or therapeutic transurethral procedures under follow-up do not increase of risk dying from causes other than bladder cancer. The modestly raised risk for NMIBC patients dying from causes other than bladder cancer is likely explained by residual confounding.

Background and objectiveTo study the cumulative incidence and surgical treatment of midline incisional hernia (MIH) after cystectomy for bladder cancer.MethodsIn the nationwide Bladder Cancer Data Base Sweden (BladderBaSe), cystectomy was performed in 5646 individuals. Cumulative incidence MIH and surgery for MIH were investigated in relation to age, gender, comorbidity, previous laparotomy and/or inguinal hernia repair, operative technique, primary/secondary cystectomy, postoperative wound dehiscence, year of surgery, and period-specific mean annual hospital cystectomy volume (PSMAV).ResultsThree years after cystectomy the cumulative incidence of MIH and surgery for MIH was 8% and 4%, respectively. The cumulative incidence MIH was 12%, 9% and 7% in patients having urinary diversion with continent cutaneous pouch, orthotopic neobladder and ileal conduit. Patients with postoperative wound dehiscence had a higher three-year cumulative incidence MIH (20%) compared to 8% without. The corresponding cumulative incidence surgery for MIH three years after cystectomy was 9%, 6%, and 4% for continent cutaneous, neobladder, and conduit diversion, respectively, and 11% for individuals with postoperative wound dehiscence (vs 4% without). Using multivariable Cox regression, secondary cystectomy (HR 1.3 (1.0-1.7)), continent cutaneous diversion (HR 1.9 (1.1-2.4)), robot-assisted cystectomy (HR 1.8 (1-3.2)), wound dehiscence (HR 3.0 (2.0-4.7)), cystectomy in hospitals with PSMAV 10-25 (HR 1.4 (1.0-1.9)), as well as cystectomy during later years (HRs 2.5-3.1) were all independently associated with increased risk of MIH.ConclusionsThe cumulative incidence of MIH was 8% three years postoperatively, and increase over time. Avoiding postoperative wound dehiscence after midline closure is important to decrease the risk of MIH.