Follow-up strategies and management of recurrence in urologic oncology bladder cancer: Invasive bladder cancer

A surveillance program following cystectomy should consider a patient's individual risk for the development of local and distant recurrences and any specific needs related to the urinary tract reconstruction performed. Well-documented recurrence patterns following cystectomy are available from many large surgical series and provide the background information needed for tailoring follow-up based on pathologic criteria. Economic issues also must be considered, given that the health care-related expenses of treating and following patients with bladder cancer is twice as much as that expended for the treatment of prostate cancer. Because of the ever-increasing fiscal constraints placed on clinicians, risk-adjusted follow-up strategies are reasonable, but will require prospective evaluation to validate their appropriateness.