Clinicopathological characteristics of urinary bladder cancer as seen at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi-Tanzania

Background: Urinary Bladder Cancer (UBC) is a common disease worldwide which ranks ninth in worldwide cancer incidence with highest incidence in developed countries. This study aimed at describing clinicopathological characteristics of urinary bladder cancer as seen at KCMC.
Methods: This was an eight years hospital based descriptive, retrospective study conducted from 2006 to 2013 by using a structured data extraction form. The data were analyzed using SPSS software.
Results: A total of 120 subjects were included in the study. Majority 90 (75%) had TCC followed by SCC (18%). Forty nine percent of subjects with TCC presented with non muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Majority (87%) of subjects with non-muscle invasive TCC of bladder experienced recurrence within a period of one year after diagnosis. Multifocality and recurrence at first follow up cystoscopy are determinants of recurrence. Patients with NMIBC were lost to follow up giving an attrition bias of 29.5%.
Conclusion: TCC is still the most common histological type in our set up followed by SCC. Majority of patients with TCC presents with advanced cancer, moreover intravesical recurrence after TURBT is high for those with non-muscle invasive TCC and influenced by multifocality and recurrence at first follow up cystoscopy. We need a large prospective study to confirm recurrence, progression and determinants of recurrence in our set up.