To achieve the best performance of transurethral resection of bladder tumor: implication of surgical checklist

Urothelial carcinoma at bladder is the 9th most common malignancy worldwide (1). It is the second most common malignancy in the urologic tract (2). According to GLOBOCAN data, 165,000 bladder cancer death occurred in 2012 worldwide (3). The clinical behavior of bladder urothelial carcinoma is quite different depending on the presence of muscle layer invasion. The involvement of muscular layer in transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) specimen is one of the most important factors for adequate diagnosis and management. Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) can be easily treated by TURBT. However, up-to 80% and 45% of patients experience recurrence and progression, respectively, with long-term follow up (4,5). For this reason, current guidelines recommend repeated TURBT with regular follow-up by cystoscopy and trans-urethral resection or drug instillation for intra-vesical recurrence (6-8)