TriangleHEALTH PROFESSIONAL · SOURCE READING
Treatment Options for Stage 0 Bladder Cancer
Source: Bladder Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: May 2, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary.
Context: Treatment of Stage 0 Bladder Cancer
Patients with stage 0 bladder tumors can be cured by a variety of treatments, even though the tendency for new tumor formation is high. In a series of patients with Ta or T1 tumors who were followed for a minimum of 20 years or until death, the risk of bladder cancer recurrence after initial resection was 80%.[1] Of greater concern than recurrence is the risk of progression to muscle-invasive, locally-advanced, or metastatic bladder cancer. While progression is rare for patients with low-grade tumors, it is common among patients with high-grade cancers.
Source links and citations
One series of 125 patients with TaG3 cancers followed for 15 to 20 years reported that 39% progressed to more advanced-stage disease while 26% died of urothelial cancer. In comparison, among 23 patients with TaG1 tumors, none died and 5% progressed.[2] Risk factors for recurrence and progression include:[2-6]
High-grade disease.
Presence of carcinoma in situ.
Tumor larger than 3 cm.
Multiple tumors.
History of prior bladder cancer.
Treatment options for stage 0 bladder cancer include:
Transurethral resection (TUR) with fulguration followed by an immediate postoperative instillation of intravesical chemotherapy.
TUR with fulguration.
TUR with fulguration followed by an immediate postoperative instillation of intravesical chemotherapy followed by periodic intravesical instillations of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG).
TUR with fulguration followed by an immediate postoperative instillation of intravesical chemotherapy followed by intravesical chemotherapy.
Segmental cystectomy (rarely indicated).
Source links and citations
Radical cystectomy (in rare, highly selected patients with extensive or refractory superficial high-grade tumors).
Source links and citations
Continue within this section
Publication references
Read the original reference and check its publication notices.
Preserved source evidence · Not medical advice