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We retrospectively evaluated primary non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer diagnosed between 1999 and 2008 at 2 facilities (Kawasaki Municipal Hospital and Yokohama Minami Kyosai Hospital). Size (＜1 cm) solitary bladder cancer statistically evaluated the characteristics. Out of 463 bladder cancers, 52 were minimum-size solitary pTa bladder cancers less than 1 cm in diameter. The average follow-up period was 50.9 months. The recurrence rate of the minimum-size bladder cancer was significantly lower than that of bladder cancers of other sizes (1 to 3 cm or ≧3 cm). The 3-year non-recurrence rate was 80.7, 71.0, and 62.9% in each group (＜1, 1 to 3, ≧3 cm). High-grade minimum size bladder cancer (pTa) showed a significantly higher recurrence rate than the low-grade cases (P＝0.0101). Intravesical chemotherapy with anti-cancer drugs significantly reduced the intravesical recurrence rate in the low-grade minimum-size bladder cancer group (P＝0.0418). There was no statistically significant difference in either the average recurrence number or the rate of multiple recurrences between the minimum-size tumor group and the 1 to 3 cm tumor group. Minimum size bladder cancer had a lower recurrence rate than tumors of other sizes ; however, there were no differences in other characteristics between the groups. Therefore, sufficient treatment, in accordance with the guidelines, should be administered for minimum size tumors as well as tumors of other sizes.

We retrospectively studied 463 patients with primary non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer diagnosed between 1999 and 2008 at two facilities (Kawasaki Municipal Ida Hospital and Yokohama Minami Kyosai Hospital). In this study, disease progression was defined as invasion to the muscle or further (upstage) and presence of metastasis (metastasis). We detected progression in 22 cases, including 18 upstages and 4 metastasis. Univariate analysis showed that factors associated with progression were T category (pT1 p＜ 0.0001), grade (high grade p＜0.0001, G3 p＜0.0001) and number of tumors (multiple p＝0.0213). Multivariate analysis showed that the only equivocal factor associated with progression was T category (T1). Use of a second tansurethral resection for high-grade pT1 cases was unrelated to progression. Among the patients with progression, many had a more advanced T category at the time of radical treatment, and the results of treatment were poor. The factors associated with progression of bladder cancer should be investigated in more detail, so that early radical treatment can be initiated in eligible patients.

We retrospectively evaluated primary non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer diagnosed between 1999 and 2008 at 2 facilities (Kawasaki Municipal Hospital and Yokohama Minami Kyosai Hospital). Size (＜1 cm) solitary bladder cancer statistically evaluated the characteristics. Out of 463 bladder cancers, 52 were minimum-size solitary pTa bladder cancers less than 1 cm in diameter. The average follow-up period was 50.9 months. The recurrence rate of the minimum-size bladder cancer was significantly lower than that of bladder cancers of other sizes (1 to 3 cm or ≧3 cm). The 3-year non-recurrence rate was 80.7, 71.0, and 62.9% in each group (＜1, 1 to 3, ≧3 cm). High-grade minimum size bladder cancer (pTa) showed a significantly higher recurrence rate than the low-grade cases (P＝0.0101). Intravesical chemotherapy with anti-cancer drugs significantly reduced the intravesical recurrence rate in the low-grade minimum-size bladder cancer group (P＝0.0418). There was no statistically significant difference in either the average recurrence number or the rate of multiple recurrences between the minimum-size tumor group and the 1 to 3 cm tumor group. Minimum size bladder cancer had a lower recurrence rate than tumors of other sizes ; however, there were no differences in other characteristics between the groups. Therefore, sufficient treatment, in accordance with the guidelines, should be administered for minimum size tumors as well as tumors of other sizes.

We retrospectively studied 463 patients with primary non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer diagnosed between 1999 and 2008 at two facilities (Kawasaki Municipal Ida Hospital and Yokohama Minami Kyosai Hospital). In this study, disease progression was defined as invasion to the muscle or further (upstage) and presence of metastasis (metastasis). We detected progression in 22 cases, including 18 upstages and 4 metastasis. Univariate analysis showed that factors associated with progression were T category (pT1 p＜ 0.0001), grade (high grade p＜0.0001, G3 p＜0.0001) and number of tumors (multiple p＝0.0213). Multivariate analysis showed that the only equivocal factor associated with progression was T category (T1). Use of a second tansurethral resection for high-grade pT1 cases was unrelated to progression. Among the patients with progression, many had a more advanced T category at the time of radical treatment, and the results of treatment were poor. The factors associated with progression of bladder cancer should be investigated in more detail, so that early radical treatment can be initiated in eligible patients.