In the Poster and Podiums session on Friday, May 15: IP20-24:
“Blue Light Cystoscopy Enables Earlier CIS Recognition and Can Guide Risk-Appropriate Management of High-Risk Non–Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: Real-World Outcomes from a U.S. Claims Cohort” by Mark D. Tyson
The objective of this study was to evaluate whether blue light cystoscopy (BLC®) improves early recognition of CIS/high-risk disease and helps inform clinical decision making in real-world practice. The study looked at 794 BLC and 4,764 matched WLC patients from the Optum Research Database (2016–2023).
Blue light cystoscopy (BLC) was found to significantly improve early detection of carcinoma in situ (CIS) and high-risk non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer compared to white light cystoscopy (WLC) using claims from the OPTUM database.
Specific findings include:
- BLC was associated with significantly higher CIS detection (8.5% vs. 3.4%) and cystectomy rates (4.6% vs. 2.3%)
- Increased Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy use (31.0% vs. 15.9%) that persisted over approximately 3.5 years of follow-up
- These differences remained significant beyond the initial 90 days, indicating durable diagnostic sensitivity and facilitating earlier, risk-appropriate treatment decisions, which supports broader adoption of BLC for improved clinical and economic outcomes in managing high-risk bladder cancer
Read the abstract: https://www.auajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1097/01.JU.0001191388.74345.c9.24
In the “Health Services Research: Value of Care, Cost and Outcome Measures” session on Monday, May 18: IP74-03
“Costs of Care and Oncologic Outcomes Associated with Blue Light Cystoscopy in an Equal Access Setting: Results from the BRAVO Study” by Ali Nasrallah / S. Williams
This abstract compared costs in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) care, incurred by white light cystoscopy (WLC) versus blue light cystoscopy (BLC®). Results of the real-world evidence study showed that while BLC was associated with higher initial costs of treatment than WLC, lower recurrence rates in the BLC patient cohort drive cost neutrality overall.
“Bladder cancer is associated with high treatment costs. A significant portion of cost is related to the high rates of cancer recurrence. In our study, utilization of BLC in the management of NMIBC was associated with modestly higher healthcare costs compared to white light. However, the majority of cost was related to increased use of guideline recommended intravesical therapy in the BLC cohort due to early detection of tumor. Early detection facilitated by BLC, appropriate intravesical therapy, and reduced recurrence significantly narrowed the cost differential that approached net cost neutrality compared to WL while providing superior clinical outcomes. These findings provide real-world cost data to aid in the decision-making process for utilizing BLC particularly in the care of high-risk NMIBC patients,” said Dr. Steven Williams, Professor and Chief of the Division of Urology, at the University of Texas-Medical Branch, and one of the study authors.The BRAVO study (Bladder Cancer Recurrence Analysis in Veterans and Outcomes) is a propensity score matched, retrospective analysis evaluating outcomes following BLC compared to WLC alone in 622 patients from the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. The primary objective was to determine the difference in total healthcare costs over 1, 2, and 5-year intervals with available cost data. A cost-offset analysis was performed addressing multiple aspects of BLC healthcare costs including the financial impacts of recurrence avoidance. The Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Healthcare system accepts all U.S. Veterans, regardless of financial background, and retains its patients, allowing for high-quality data capture over a long-term follow-up period, therefore serving as a robust real-world model for equal access.
Results:
- BLC vs. WLC patients were more likely to receive intravesical BCG (61% vs 43%; p<0.01) and intravesical chemotherapy (49% and 28%, p<0.01), respectively.
- BLC use was associated with decreased risk of recurrence (HR 0.62, p<0.01)
- Initial total costs over 5 years were higher in the BLC group ($108,411 vs $66,734; p<0.01), with outpatient costs being the main driver ($90,788 vs $55,529; p<0.01).
- A cost-offset analysis showed that the 5-year costs of BLC exposure were only $721 more per person versus WLC due to shorter hospital stays, fewer emergency visits, and fewer recurrence events.
Read the abstract: https://www.auajournals.org/doi/10.1097/01.JU.0001191732.85178.cb.03
Other sessions in the AUA’s scientific program highlighted the role of flexible blue light cystoscopy in alternative diagnostic procedures, to ensure thorough detection of bladder tumors. Notable sessions on Transurethral laser ablation (TULA):
- Determinants of Improved Tumor Visibility Under Blue Light During Transurethral Laser Ablation: A Single Center Descriptive Cohort (Frederico Ceria)
- Blue Light Guided Transurethral Laser Ablation (TULA) for NMIBC: First UK Single Center Experience Cohort on Recurrence Free Survival (Sandhu)
Source: Photocure ASA. (2026). AUA 2026: New Studies Demonstrated Blue Light Cystoscopy Benefits in High-Risk NMIBC Management and Cost Comparison Study [Press release]. https://www.photocure.com/news/aua-2026-new-studies-demonstrated-blue-light-cystoscopy-benefits-in-high-risk-nmibc-management-and-cost-comparison-study-5364891.
Related Content:
Retrospective Cohort Analysis of Blue-Light Cystoscopy Using a Claims Database - Mark Tyson
AUA 2026: Blue Light Cystoscopy Enables Earlier CIS Recognition and Can Guide Risk-Appropriate Management of High-Risk NMIBC: Real-World Outcomes from a U.S. Claims Cohort