Hexaminolevulinate-guided transurethral resection of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer does not reduce the recurrence rates after a 2-year follow-up: a prospective randomized trial

Purpose

To assess the impact of hexaminolevulinate (HAL) on the long-term recurrence rate of NMIBC.

Methods

A total of 130 patients with bladder tumour were randomized into two groups. The patients in one group had a HAL instillation before surgery, and they first had a white-light and after that a blue-light cystoscopy (BL group) and resection. The second group had only white-light cystoscopy (WL group) and resection. They have been followed up with cystoscopy every 3 months for a period of up to 40 months.

Results

The recurrence-free period was not significantly different between the two groups (BL and WL groups) (long-rank test p = 0.202). The use of HAL helped detect four flat lesions and 28 papillary lesions with cancer that would have been missed under WL only, on 16 out of the 54 patients (29.6 % CI 95 % 11.1–33.3). The use of HAL changed the proposed postoperative treatment and follow-up for one out of the five patients.

Conclusions

Although the use of HAL cystoscopy identified at least one cancer lesion more than WL cystoscopy on one out of the three patients, the recurrence-free period was not significantly different.