Bladder cancer patients ‘can benefit from robot-assisted surgery’

Robotic-assisted surgical techniques could be used to improve treatment outcomes among bladder cancer patients, according to new research.

A study led by the University of Miami has compared the efficacy of robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy to open radical cystectomy, the current preferred treatment option among muscle-invasive bladder cancer cases.

While no significant outcome differences were observed, there was nevertheless a trend towards decreased estimated blood loss and shorter hospital stays among those receiving the robotic-assisted therapies.

The prospective randomised nature of the new study helps to eliminate the selection biases seen in prior retrospective analyses, according to the team.

Lead investigator Dr Dipen Parekh, professor and chairman of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine's department of urology, said: "Minimally invasive approaches including robotic-assisted approaches have emerged as viable surgical options for many urological malignancies, with the promise of decreased morbidity with shorter hospital stays, faster recovery and less narcotic analgesic requirements."

Bladder cancer generally occurs among older adults, with disease rates noted as being four times higher among men than women in the UK, though females are more likely to contract the dangerous muscle-invasive versions of the disease.