Blue light transurethral resection and biopsy of bladder cancer with hexaminolevulinate: Histopathological characteristics and recurrence rates in a single UK centre study

Introduction: Blue light cystoscopy with hexaminolevulinate (HAL) during transurethral resection of bladder cancer (TURBT) has been shown to improve detection, thereby reducing bladder cancer recurrence compared with white light cystoscopy.

Methods: Single‐centred UK (United Kingdom) study on 101 patients who underwent blue light cystoscopy between July 2017 and November 2020, performed by a single surgeon. Our study was divided into two arms; the primary arm had no prior diagnosis of bladder malignancy (N = 41), whereas secondary re‐resection arm had (N = 57). Three patients with non‐urothelial bladder cancer were excluded. Patients were followed up for 24 months. Data were collected on biopsy quality, histopathological characteristics and recurrence. The end points of the study were recurrence rate at 24 months in both arms and detection of CIS in patients who undergo TURBT or biopsy after initial white light study in the secondary, re‐resection arm. This was analysed with Fisher's exact test. Results: Of 98 patients, 39 had malignancy in their first blue light TURBT/biopsy: primary arm (10/41, 24.4%) and secondary arm (29/57, 50.9%), with detrusor present in 80.5% and 80.7%, respectively. In the secondary arm, blue light re‐resection TURBT detected significantly more CIS (20.7% vs 51.7%, p = 0.0277) compared with white light with 3.4% upstaged to muscle invasive bladder cancer (G3pT2). Median time to re‐resection was 3.06 months. Recurrence rate was 33.3% in the primary arm and 37.5% in the secondary arm after 24 months of follow‐up.

Conclusion: Our data confirm that blue light TURBT with HAL provides superior detection and diagnosis of CIS in patients with previous white light cystoscopy.