Improved Detection of Bladder Tumors Reduces Cancer Recurrence

Making tumors inside the bladder fluoresce red under blue light allows physicians to more easily find and remove them, substantially reducing the rate at which these cancers come back, says Lance Mynderse, M.D., Mayo Clinic urologist who is presenting results of a large, multicenter international clinical trial.

The findings, which are being reported at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, show that this new diagnostic technique found more of the most common bladder tumors than the traditional white-light detection method in almost 17 percent of the patients, and demonstrated a 22 percent relative reduction in the recurrence rate within nine months of the procedure.

The study compared use of the traditional white-light cystoscopy with photodynamic diagnosis using a special light source and lenses that can switch from white to blue light. The blue light is designed for use with the study drug (hexaminolevulinate), which is instilled into a patient’s bladder prior to the therapeutic procedure. This acts as a prodrug that initiates a series of biochemical reactions in malignant cells which result in significant, preferential accumulation of photoactive porphryins. When the blue light is turned on, the tumors emit a red fluorescence. “The cancers appear bright red compared to normal tissue, which is a lighter blue-green,” Dr. Mynderse says. “It is quite dramatic. One sees bladder tumors in a whole new light.”
 
Below is a link to an edited youtube video with Dr. Mynderse .

4 Comments

  1. Don Tessendorf
    Posted August 22, 2009 at 11:51 pm | Permalink

    Is this blue light technology readily available in the US or can it be done by Mayo Clinic, I have Carcinoma in situ of the bladder , it reoccurred after 6 years, bcg treatments were used the first time , and were done this time also.
    THANKS
    DON

  2. Newsletter Editor
    Posted August 25, 2009 at 1:40 pm | Permalink

    Thank you for your questions. We’ll be getting in touch with Dr. Mynderse and will reply by email.

  3. Roger Mahoney
    Posted September 19, 2009 at 1:46 pm | Permalink

    I have been put on antibiotics for 70 days for possible infection of prostrate, no biopsy has been done. Does this follow any protocol or should I insist on further testing now? Roger

  4. Amy Tieder
    Posted September 21, 2009 at 1:09 pm | Permalink

    It would probably be best for you to contact our Mayo Clinic Urology appointment office to discuss further. That phone number is 507-293-0933.


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