- Follow-up
All patients with NMIBC were planned to undergo two-year maintenance BCG
therapy in accordance with the Southwest Oncology Group Study (SWOG)
protocol [10]. The patents were examined by cystoscopy and cytology
at three-month intervals for two years [11]. They underwent CT
urography imaging every six months [11]. Recurrence was defined as
histopathologically confirmed detection of any tumor after BCG induction
therapy. Progression was defined as an increase in the stage of the
muscle-invasive disease. After two years of follow-up, the patients were
classified as non-responders to immunotherapy in case of recurrence or
progression and responders to immunotherapy if there was no recurrence
or progression.