Swedish National Guidelines on Urothelial Carcinoma: 2021 update on non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and upper tract urothelial carcinoma

Abstract

Objective

To overview the updated Swedish National Guidelines on Urothelial Carcinoma 2021, with emphasis on non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

Methods

A narrative review of the updated version of the Swedish National Guidelines on Urothelial Carcinoma 2021 and highlighting new treatment recommendations, with comparison to the European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines and current literature.

Results

For NMIBC the new EAU 2021 risk group stratification has been introduced for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer to predict risk of progression and the web-based application has been translated to Swedish (https://nmibc.net.). For patients with non-BCG -responsive disease treatment recommendations have been pinpointed, to guide patient counselling in this clinical situation. A new recommendation in the current version of the guidelines is the introduction of four courses of adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy to patients with advanced disease in the nephroureterectomy specimen (pT2 or higher and/or N+). Patients with papillary urothelial neoplasms with low malignant potential (PUNLMP) can be discharged from follow-up already after 3 years based on a very low subsequent risk of further recurrences.

Conclusions

The current version of the Swedish national guidelines introduces a new risk-stratification model and follow-up recommendation for NMIBC and adjuvant chemotherapy after radical surgery for UTUC.

Keywords:

• Urothelial carcinoma
• Swedish national guidelines
• non-muscle invasive bladder cancer
• upper tract urothelial carcinoma

Disclosure statement

Anna-Karin Lind has received lecture honorarium from Astellas. Amir Sherif received honorarium as PI for trial from Bristol Myers Squibb. Karin Söderkvist received honorarium as PI for trial from Glaxo Smith Kline. Helena Thulin received economic compensation for developing educational material for Bactiguard AB. Dimitrious Papantonio has received lecture honorarium from Ipsen. Ingrida Verbiene has received lecture honoraria from different pharma companies. Anders Ullén has received honoraria or research funding from Pierre-Fabre, Merck KGaA, Astellas and Bayer. Sofia Kjellström, Fredrik Liedberg, Karin Falkman, Johan Sandzen, Tomas Jerlström, Viveka Ströck and Firas Aljabery have no conflicts of interest.