Dr. O'Neil on Emerging Therapeutic Techniques in Bladder Cancer

Brock O’Neil, MD, assistant professor, Division of Urology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Institute, discusses emerging therapeutic techniques in bladder cancer.

There is a lot of interest in exploring robotic cystectomy, says O’Neil. The field is likely to move in that direction, especially by way of intracorporeal urinary diversions. The procedure is getting more established through ongoing clinical trials. Results from the RAZOR trial were recently presented that are promising and encouraging, states O’Neil.

However, the trial failed to show any significant benefits over complications. They seem to show equivalence in terms of oncologic outcomes, explains O’Neil. The biggest benefits come in blood loss and potentially length of hospital stay.

Another shift in the field is the push for early recovery after surgery protocols. Most centers that do cystectomies have those protocols in place and have shown shorter hospital lengths of stay. O’Neil notes that they may also have some impact on complications.

Wearable sensors, though fairly new, is another technique that has garnered a lot of attention. The ideology behind the sensors is early identification of postsurgical complications for early intervention.