The American Urological Association (AUA) meeting is one of largest international meetings in the urology calendar. The yearly event includes an innovative, evidence-based, quality program for urologists and urologic health care professionals worldwide.

The New Blue Light equipment from Karl Storz was prominently displayed on the exhibition floor, as urologists visited both the Photocure and Karl Storz booths to inquire about the New Blue Light System, the next generation equipment in bladder cancer detection. The Karl Storz equipment is the only FDA approved device for BLC with Cysview in the U.S. Physicians were able to get hands on experience with the new system at the Karl Storz booth.

"We have been working closely with Karl Storz for several months to support a successful launch of the New Blue Light system and were very pleased with the interest expressed among uro-oncologists who visited our booth on the exhibition floor. We were able to share some of the key features and benefits of The New Blue Light and liaised with the Karl Storz team for firsthand demonstrations. Given the positive feedback during AUA, we anticipate that several launch events will support the education and practice needs for the urology community. Additionally, Photocure prominently displayed the Flexible BLC system at its booth. The positive feedback from uro-oncologists further reinforces the recent surge in flexible blue light tower installations and how outpatient surveillance with flexible BLC helps support the continuum of care for patients with bladder cancer." said Geoff Coy, Vice President & General Manager North America.

This year's AUA program also once again featured NMIBC topics including Blue Light Cystoscopy. A poster from Dr. Sia Daneshmand was presented entitled "Is a Restaging TURBT** Necessary in Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer if the Initial TURBT was Performed Using Blue Light?" This podium poster presentation highlighted that patients who underwent BLC for their initial TURBT had more benign pathology upon a restaging TURBT compared to WLC, though a restaging TURBT is still advised. Dr. Sia Daneshmand, M.D., is Professor of Urology with Clinical Scholar designation and serves as director of clinical research as well as the urologic oncology (SUO) fellowship director at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles.
Read the abstract here: https://www.eventscribe.net/2022/AUA2022/fsPopup.asp?Mode=presInfo&PresentationID=1051890

*NMIBC: Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

**TURBT: Transurethral resection of bladder tumor
 

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About Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer ranks as the 8[th] most common cancer worldwide - the 5[th] most common in men - with 1 720 000 prevalent cases (5-year prevalence rate)[1a], 573 000 new cases and more than 200 000 deaths in 2020.[1b]

Approx. 75% of all bladder cancer cases occur in men.[1] It has a high recurrence rate with up to 61% in year one and up to 78% over five years.[2] Bladder cancer has the highest lifetime treatment costs per patient of all cancers.[3]

Bladder cancer is a costly, potentially progressive disease for which patients have to undergo multiple cystoscopies due to the high risk of recurrence. There is an urgent need to improve both the diagnosis and the management of bladder cancer for the benefit of patients and healthcare systems alike. 

Bladder cancer is classified into two types, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), depending on the depth of invasion in the bladder wall. NMIBC remains in the inner layer of cells lining the bladder. These cancers are the most common (75%) of all BC cases and include the subtypes Ta, carcinoma in situ (CIS) and T1 lesions. In MIBC the cancer has grown into deeper layers of the bladder wall. These cancers, including subtypes T2, T3 and T4, are more likely to spread and are harder to treat.[4]
[1] Globocan. a) 5-year prevalence / b) incidence/mortality by population.  Available at: https://gco.iarc.fr/today, accessed [January 2022].
[2] Babjuk M, et al. Eur Urol. 2019; 76(5): 639-657
[3] Sievert KD et al. World J Urol 2009;27:295-300
[4] Bladder Cancer. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/bladder-cancer.html
 

About Hexvix[®]/Cysview[®] (hexaminolevulinate HCl)

Hexvix/Cysview is a drug that preferentially accumulates in cancer cells in the bladder, making them glow bright pink during Blue Light Cystoscopy (BLC[®]). BLC with Hexvix/Cysview, compared to standard white light cystoscopy alone, improves the detection of tumors and leads to more complete resection, fewer residual tumors, and better management decisions.

Cysview[ ]is the tradename in the U.S. and Canada, Hexvix[ ]is the tradename in all other markets. Photocure is commercializing Cysview/Hexvix directly in the U.S. and Europe and has strategic partnerships for the commercialization of Hexvix/Cysview in China, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand. Please refer to https://photocure.com/partners/our-partners for further information on our commercial partners.
 

About Photocure ASA
Photocure: The Bladder Cancer Company delivers transformative solutions to improve the lives of bladder cancer patients. Our unique technology, making cancer cells glow bright pink, has led to better health outcomes for patients worldwide. Photocure is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE: PHO). For more information, please visit us at www.photocure.com, www.hexvix.com, www.cysview.com