The Guiding Value of Urinary Tumor DNA Testing in Repeat Transurethral Resection of Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: An Open-Label, Randomized Controlled, Multi-Center Clinical Study (Truce-LB01)

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Diagnostic test, Procedure
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) accounts for approximately 75% of newly diagnosed bladder cancers and is characterized by a high risk of recurrence and progression. Current guidelines recommend that patients with stage T1 NMIBC undergo a second transurethral resection of bladder tumor (re-TURBT) within 2-6 weeks after the initial surgery to remove residual tumor, confirm staging, and obtain additional pathological information. However, the benefits of routine re-TURBT for all high-risk patients remain controversial, as many patients may not have residual disease, while the procedure carries surgical and anesthetic risks, physical and psychological burden, and additional healthcare costs. Urine tumor DNA (utDNA) refers to DNA fragments shed by tumor cells into urine. It can be detected using molecular assays with high sensitivity and specificity, offering a non-invasive method for bladder cancer diagnosis and surveillance. Previous studies have shown that positive utDNA results after initial TURBT may be associated with residual disease and higher recurrence risk. This multicenter, randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate whether utDNA testing can accurately identify NMIBC patients who are most likely to benefit from re-TURBT, thereby guiding the decision to perform the procedure. The goal is to optimize patient selection for re-TURBT, reduce unnecessary surgeries, and improve patient quality of life while maintaining oncologic safety.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 18
Healthy Volunteers: f
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∙ Participants must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for the study:

• Male or female, aged 18 years or older.

• Histologically confirmed non-muscle-invasive bladder tumor, with no evidence of muscle-invasive bladder cancer or metastatic disease.

• Histologically confirmed urothelial carcinoma of the bladder or bladder tumor with urothelial carcinoma as the predominant component (\>50%).

• At least one of the following conditions:

‣ Incomplete initial transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) or suspected incomplete resection.

⁃ Absence of detrusor muscle in the initial TURBT pathological specimen (except for low-grade Ta stage tumors or carcinoma in situ \[CIS\]).

⁃ T1 stage tumor.

• Willingness to provide a 50 mL urine sample between 2-6 weeks after the initial TURBT and prior to re-TURBT.

• Willingness to provide tumor tissue samples for pathological examination.

• Willingness to undergo genetic testing required for the trial.

Locations
Other Locations
China
The second hospital of Tianjin Medical University
RECRUITING
Tianjin
Contact Information
Primary
Hailong Hu, MD
huhailong@tmu.edu.cn
+8613662096232
Time Frame
Start Date: 2025-07-01
Estimated Completion Date: 2027-10-01
Participants
Target number of participants: 196
Treatments
Active_comparator: Standard re-TURBT
Participants with NMIBC who have undergone initial TURBT will not receive utDNA testing and will undergo a second transurethral resection of bladder tumor (re-TURBT) within 2-6 weeks after the initial surgery, per guideline-based management.
Experimental: utDNA-guided management
Participants with NMIBC who have undergone initial TURBT will receive urine tumor DNA (utDNA) testing.~If utDNA positive, they will undergo re-TURBT within 2-6 weeks after the initial surgery.~If utDNA negative, re-TURBT will be omitted and patients will continue guideline-based adjuvant therapy/surveillance as per protocol.
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Leads: Tianjin Medical University Second Hospital

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov