Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40337218›Full record

ArticleBJUI compass2025

Outcomes in BCG failure: Outcome from a single centre UK experience.

Elizabeth Day, Rachel Aquilina, Lazaros Tzelves, Ashwin Sridhar, Anthony Ta, John Kelly, Bernadett Szabados

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BJUI compass, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Elizabeth DayDepartment of Urology University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3773-3836
Rachel AquilinaSchool of Medicine University College London London UK.
Lazaros Tzelves2nd Department of Urology Sismanogleio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Greece.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4619-9783
Ashwin SridharDepartment of Urology University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8070-4822
Anthony TaDepartment of Urology St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Australia.
John KellyDepartment of Urology University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London UK.
Bernadett SzabadosDepartment of Urology University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: To describe real-world outcomes of patients with BCG failure undergoing bladder-sparing treatments (BSTs) vs radical cystectomy in the UK. Patients and Methods: A single institution audit was conducted at a tertiary bladder cancer referral service (UCLH, London, UK). Patients with BCG failure treated between January 2017 and September 2022 were included. BSTs included endoscopic surveillance, hyperthermic mitomycin and further BCG. The primary outcome was event free survival (EFS). Complete response (CR) rate and duration of response (DoR) were investigated in patients undergoing BST. The secondary outcomes were 3- and 5-year cancer-specific (CSS) and overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 112 patients were included: 30% (34/112), 32% (36/112) and 27% (30/112) had BCG unresponsive, exposed and intolerant disease and 11% (12/112) had progressed to muscle invasive disease (MIBC).In the BCG unresponsive and exposed groups, 79% (27/34) and 72% (26/36) underwent RC, with the remaining receiving BSTs. Comparing RC vs BST in BCG unresponsive and exposed groups combined, there was a significantly poorer EFS in the BST group (p < 0.001); 35.3% (6/17) patients transitioned to second-line BST due to recurrence or intolerance and a further 50% (3/6) transitioned a third line BST. There was no significant difference in CSS or OS rates. In BCG intolerance, the EFS rate was 90% as three patients experienced high-grade recurrence and underwent RC. There were no cancer-related deaths. In MIBC group, 5/12 presented with metastatic disease and 3- and 5-year CSS rates was 66% and 0%. Conclusion: This data reports real-world practice in a UK centre. BSTs in BCG unresponsive and exposed disease are supported as an alternative to RC providing the increased risk of recurrence is accepted. Additionally, consideration of formal guidance supporting BST is needed in BCG intolerance, which appears to have an excellent outcome in a cohort managed with endoscopic surveillance. Upstaging to MIBC remains a poor prognostic factor and is key to improving survival outcomes in BCG failure.

Indexed as

BCG failurebladder cancerbladder sparing treatmentHyperthermic Mitomycinradical cystectomy

Identifiers

PMID40337218
PMCPMC12056233

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.