Purpose: This systematic review assessed compliance to guidelines for the management of nonmuscle-invasive bladder carcinoma (NMIBC). Methods: The PUBMED, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases were searched in November 2019 in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis statement.
Results: Fifteen studies incorporating a collective total of 10,575 NMIBC patients were eligible for inclusion in this systematic review. We found that the rates of compliance were 53.0% with a single immediate intravesical instillation in patients with presumed low or intermediate risk, 37.1% with intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin or chemotherapy in those with intermediate risk, 43.4% with performance of a second transurethral resection in high-risk patients, 32.5% with administration of adjuvant intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin in high-risk patients, 36.1% with radical cystectomy in highest-risk patients, and 82.2% with cystoscopy for follow-up.
Conclusions: Compliance with NMIBC guidelines remains low. Better guideline education and understanding holds the key to achieving high compliance.
Strategies to improve guideline compliance at the physician level are urgently required.