Understanding NMIBC and Its Risk Factors

EP: 1.Evolving Guidelines: Impact of Gene Therapy and BCG Failure Redefinitions on High-Risk NMIBC Patient Management

EP: 2.Applying Evidence Standards to Guide Gene Therapy Use in BCG-Unresponsive NMIBC

EP: 3.Impact of Real-World Treatment Experience on Gene Therapy Uptake in NMIBC

EP: 4.Navigating Challenges and Impact on Workflow with New NMIBC Therapies in Practice

EP: 5.Effective Strategies for Clinics Preparing to Implement Gene Therapy Into NMIBC Treatment Workflows

EP: 6.Reducing Clinical Resource Burden: Impact of Less Frequent NMIBC Therapy Administration

EP: 7.How Community-Based Gene Therapy Is Changing Treatment and Improving Quality of Life for Patients With BCG-Unresponsive NMIBC

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EP: 8.Understanding NMIBC and Its Risk Factors

EP: 9.Navigating Treatment Burden in NMIBC

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NMIBC represents a significant subset of urothelial cell carcinoma that remains localized before invading the detrusor muscle of the bladder. Katie S. Murray, D.O., M.S., a urologic oncologist at New York University Langone Health, explains that this localized form of bladder cancer is treated with targeted therapies including cystoscopy, transurethral resection of bladder tumors and intravesical therapies delivered directly into the bladder via catheter. The disease is characterized by its high recurrence rate, necessitating close patient monitoring and regular follow-up care.

Bladder cancer ranks as the sixth most common cancer in the United States, yet remains underrecognized by the public. The disease disproportionately affects men at a rate two to three times higher than women, with a median age of diagnosis around 72 to 73 years. Smoking emerges as the primary risk factor, with both current and remote smoking history significantly increasing bladder cancer risk. Even patients who smoked decades ago in their teens or 20s maintain elevated risk levels throughout their lives.

For patients diagnosed with NMIBC, smoking cessation becomes the most crucial modifiable risk factor for preventing recurrences and optimizing treatment effectiveness. Murray emphasizes that smoking represents the No. 1 factor patients can control to improve their prognosis. While other environmental exposures to chemicals and dyes contribute to bladder cancer risk, smoking remains the predominant and most addressable risk factor in clinical practice.