Understanding TURBT: new patient factsheet available

We are delighted to launch a new factsheet titled “Understanding TURBT”, the second of our series of Factsheets we are developing. This resource is designed to help patients, carers, understand the Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumour (TURBT), a crucial procedure in diagnosing and treating bladder cancer.

The factsheet is developed as a decision-aid tool to help patients newly diagnosed with bladder cancer to have a conversation with their treating doctor. We encourage doctors to download this resource and use it as a supplementary resource when having conversations with patients and their families.

The factsheet is intended for use with the advice of your healthcare professionals. These aids do not support any particular course of treatment over another. The use of these factsheets as decision-aid tools is voluntary.

TURBT is essential for diagnosing bladder tumours and determining whether they are cancerous or benign. It also plays an important role in treatment by removing cancerous growths, helping to manage and treat bladder cancer more effectively.

The factsheet covers the entire patient pathway, from preparation and the procedure to post-operative care and recovery. This overview helps those affected by bladder cancer navigate their journey. Key topics include:

• Preparation: Patients may undergo tests and receive instructions to prepare for surgery, such as fasting and discussing medications.
• Procedure: During TURBT, a thin, flexible tube called a cystoscope is inserted through the urethra into the bladder. This device allows the surgeon to visualise and remove or biopsy the tumour.
• Anaesthesia: TURBT is performed under general or spinal anaesthetic, with options discussed beforehand.
• Side effects: Common side effects include bleeding, pain, and burning during urination, which can last up to a month.
• Recovery and aftercare: Most patients have a short hospital stay (one to two days). Follow-up appointments and potential additional treatments, like chemotherapy or immunotherapy, are crucial for monitoring recovery.

Bladder cancer awareness remains low, with many patients hearing about the disease for the first time at diagnosis. The factsheet, one of the series, is a supporting conversation and decision-aid tool for patients and doctors when having a conversation about the treatment and treatment options with the patient.

We invite you to download, use and share our factsheet within your community, whether online or offline. This easy-to-print factsheet can be used by doctors to print on demand or in advance to use as a supportive decision-aid tool when speaking with people newly diagnosed with bladder cancer.

For more information on bladder cancer, we encourage you to explore our first factsheet, “Understanding Bladder Cancer“.

For questions or suggestions, please contact us at info@worldbladdercancer.org

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Medical, Nurse & Scientific Advisory Panel of Fight Bladder Cancer for their invaluable contributions to this factsheet. A special thank you to Mr. Venkata Ramana Murthy Kusuma and Kathleen MacKenzie for their outstanding support and expertise.