Spigelman, Samuel

e16012 Background: 75–85% of bladder cancer patients present with non-muscle invasive disease (NMIBC). While transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) is the initial standard treatment for visible lesions, there is variation in the utilization of adjuvant intravesical treatments in the real world. This study aims to assess current treatment patterns in privately insured NMIBC patients. Methods: Bladder cancer patients were identified from Truven MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases using ICD-9/ICD-10 codes. In the absence of tumor staging information, patients were considered to have NMIBC based on diagnosis of CIS or an algorithm centered on the use of TURBT, intravesical treatments and absence of immediate progression to muscle invasive disease. Patients were included in the final cohort if they had one year of continuous insurance coverage prior to index diagnosis, and were without any bladder cancer treatment during this period. Results: 18,683 patients met the eligibility criteria and had a median follow-up of 23 months; the mean age was 68.6 years and 75% were male. The median time from diagnosis to TURBT was 8 days. 54% of the cohort had an intravesical treatment (35% specifically with Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG), with median time from TURBT of 69 days). 77% of BCG-treated patients received 5 or more administrations during induction. However, only 22% of patients received maintenance BCG after induction. 16% of the total cohort developed a recurrence or progression during the available follow-up; five percent underwent a cystectomy, while seven percent were diagnosed with metastatic disease. Only 4% of patients with 5 or more BCG administrations during induction met the definition for being BCG-unresponsive; this is influenced by the low adherence to BCG maintenance protocol. Conclusions: Only a third of NMIBC patients are given intravesical BCG treatment. Adherence to BCG maintenance protocols is suboptimal. Rates of cystectomy/ exenteration are low, suggesting patients’ preference of bladder preservation and the unmet need for new bladder-sparing alternatives.