The vascular and morphological characteristics of tumors under narrow-band imaging as predictors for the grade and stage of bladder cancer: a prospective and multi-center study

Abstract

The vascular and morphological features of tumors are important predictors of the nature, grade, and stage of various cancers. However, this association has not been tested in bladder cancer. The aim of our study was to investigate the correlation between the morphological characteristics of tumor vessels and the nature, stage and grade of bladder cancer. Between November 2021 and March 2023, we prospectively collated clinical information and cystoscopy information from a series of patients with bladder cancer. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to identify independent risk factors for the nature, grade and stage of bladder cancer. Our analysis showed that cauliflower-like tumors, dotted vessels, and circumferential vessels were independent risk factors for bladder cancer. Reticular vessels were an independent risk factor for high-grade bladder cancer. Thick branching vessels in bladder tumors, along with a wide base, were independent risk factors for the invasion of bladder cancer into the lamina propria. Primary diagnosis, lesion location (beside the left ureteral orifice) and obscure lesion boundaries were all identified as independent risk factors for muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Keywords:

• Cystoscopy
• narrow-band imaging
• bladder cancer
• vascular morphology
• risk factor

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the patients who participated in this study and the personnel at each study site.

Ethics approval and Patient consent

Approval was provided by the Ethics Committee of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (Qingdao). Institutional Review Board Approval Number: KYLL-2021010.

Consent for publication

All participants of our study consented to the publication of this paper. All personal information was anonymized before publication.

Author contributions

HL, HS, QF, TXD, JW, WH, YX, NG, QYY, BKS, and JC: project development; HL, HS, QF, TXD, JW, WH, YX, NG, XWJ, SZC, YL, ZNZ, QYY, BKS, and JC: data collection or management; HL, QYY, and JC: data analysis; HL, QYY, and JC: manuscript writing. LH and JC had full access to the entire dataset and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that the study received financial support from Olympus Corporation and Qingdao Science and Technology Demonstration and Guidance Special Fund for the Benefit of the People, which may be considered a potential conflict of interest. The sponsor has not been specifically involved in the research. The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Data availability statement

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Qingdao Science and Technology Demonstration and Guidance Special Fund for the Benefit of the People under Grant [No. 21-1-4-rkjk-7-nsh] and the Olympus Corporation.