3 Committee considerations

3 Committee considerations

The evidence

3.1 To inform the committee, NICE did a rapid review of the published literature on the efficacy and safety of this procedure. This comprised a comprehensive literature search and detailed review of the evidence from 9 sources, which was discussed by the committee. The evidence included 6 case series, 2 non-randomised comparative studies and 1 case report, and is presented in table 2 of the interventional procedures overview. Other relevant literature is in the appendix of the overview.

3.2 The specialist advisers and the committee considered the key efficacy outcomes to be: patient-reported outcome measures, tumour ablation, reduction in tumour recurrence rates and survival.

3.3 The specialist advisers and the committee considered the key safety outcomes to be: bleeding, pain and bladder perforation.

3.4 Patient commentary was sought but none was received.

Committee comments

3.5 The committee was informed that this procedure is used in 2 distinct groups:

  • for people with small superficial tumours, when the intention is to completely ablate the tumour

  • for symptom control in people with more advanced disease who are unfit for, or unwilling to have, surgery.

3.6 The technology used in this procedure is evolving.

3.7 A chemical may be instilled into the bladder to aid with tumour detection, using a blue light.

3.8 The committee was informed that it may not always be necessary to stop anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy before this procedure.

ISBN: 978-1-4731-3463-8