Can TURB be qualified for a pT in urothelial bladder cancer?

In the context of urothelial bladder cancer, Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor (TURB) is a common procedure to diagnose and initially manage bladder tumors. However, while TURB is used to treat superficial bladder cancers (pTa) and obtain tissue for histopathological evaluation, it does not provide enough information to qualify a tumor for a pathologic stage (pT) classification beyond superficial involvement.

The pathologic stage classification (pT) assesses the depth of invasion of the tumor into the bladder wall and determines the extent of the disease. Accurate staging often requires a full cystectomy to fully assess whether the tumor has invaded deeper structures beyond the mucosa and muscle of the bladder wall. TURB is primarily limited to the first-layer involvement (mucosa) and can occasionally yield incomplete staging, especially if the tumor has deeper invasion that is missed during resection.

Thus, the correct answer reflects the understanding that TURB alone does not provide sufficient staging to classify the tumor as pT, reinforcing the importance of full cystectomy for a comprehensive assessment in cases where deeper invasion is a concern.