Follow-Up of Bladder Cancer Patients From the New England Study of Environment and Health

Background: * Bladder cancer often recurs after treatment and patient survival varies greatly. * More knowledge is needed about factors that can help identify patients who are at greater risk of disease recurrence and progression to minimize the need for screening and to help guide treatment. * The New England Study of Environment and Health (NESEH), conducted by the departments of health in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, the Dartmouth Medical School and the NIH, examined the relationship between health and environmental factors such as smoking, diet and water quality in New England. This study provides an opportunity to learn more about patients with bladder cancer. * Before launching a full-scale follow-up study on bladder cancer, it is necessary to determine the feasibility of obtaining needed follow-up information from patients enrolled in the NESEH. Objectives: -To determine the completeness and quality of information about treatment, recurrence, and progression that can be obtained for patients from their medical records. Eligibility: -Participants from the NESEH study who are residents of Maine and who were diagnosed with bladder cancer between 2001 and 2003. Design: * Determine the vital status of NESEH bladder cancer patients. * Select a sample of 40 living and 18 deceased patients. * Interview patients or their next of kin by telephone for about 30 to 45 minutes to update exposure information, obtain names and addresses of all hospitals and physicians they have seen since diagnosis, and obtain authorization to access medical records. * Obtain and abstract medical records.

Sex

All

Minimum age

30 Years

Maximum age

79 Years

* INCLUSION CRITERIA:

With the exceptions noted below, all bladder cancer patients who participated in the NESEH and were residents of ME when first diagnosed with bladder cancer will be eligible for this feasibility study. Patients were eligible for the NESEH if they met the following criteria:

* 30-79 years old at initial diagnosis
* Newly diagnosed with histologically-confirmed carcinoma of the urinary bladder (including carcinoma in situ) between September 1, 2001 and October 31, 2004

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

We will exclude from the feasibility study the following NESEH case participants:

* 44 bladder cancer patients (7 percent) first diagnosed at one of seven hospitals located in remote areas of ME (Aroostook Medical Center, Calais Regional Hospital, Cary Medical Center, Down East Community Hospital, Houlton Regional Hospital, Northern Maine Medical Center, and Mount Desert Hospital); this is for cost considerations;
* Patients diagnosed fewer than 5 years before the feasibility study begins (i.e., after 2003)

• BACKGROUNDHerr HW. Natural history of superficial bladder tumors: 10- to 20-year follow-up of treated patients. World J Urol. 1997;15(2):84-8. doi: 10.1007/BF02201977. PMID 9144896
• BACKGROUNDHolmang S, Hedelin H, Anderstrom C, Johansson SL. The relationship among multiple recurrences, progression and prognosis of patients with stages Ta and T1 transitional cell cancer of the bladder followed for at least 20 years. J Urol. 1995 Jun;153(6):1823-6; discussion 1826-7. PMID 7752327
• BACKGROUNDSylvester RJ, van der Meijden AP, Oosterlinck W, Witjes JA, Bouffioux C, Denis L, Newling DW, Kurth K. Predicting recurrence and progression in individual patients with stage Ta T1 bladder cancer using EORTC risk tables: a combined analysis of 2596 patients from seven EORTC trials. Eur Urol. 2006 Mar;49(3):466-5; discussion 475-7. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2005.12.031. Epub 2006 Jan 17. PMID 16442208