Comparison of various types of lasers and transurethral resection in the treatment of bladder tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers of the urinary tract. The two available treatments for this malignancy are laser and Transurethral Resection of the Bladder Tumor (TURBT). The aim of this study was to compare the different parameters of these two methods. A systematic search was performed on PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar between 2000 and 2021. All articles related to non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) were extracted. All analyses were performed using R-studio statistical software version 1.0.136. In total, 11 studies that reported tumor recurrence in two methods were evaluated. A total of 626 and 742 patients were treated with laser and TURBT, respectively. Tumor recurrence, duration of operation, hospitalization and catheterization in laser therapy were significantly lower than TURBT. In addition, the incidence of complications was lower in patients treated with laser. The incidence of obturator nerve reflex, bladder perforation and postoperative bladder irrigation was significantly higher in patients treated with TURBT. Only in relation to postoperative urethral stricture, no significant difference was observed between the two treatment methods. Laser therapy compared to TURBT in patients with NMIBC has fewer complications and faster recovery. Also, the risk of tumor recurrence in laser therapy is less than TURBT.