Loop Resection or Cold-cup Biopsy? A Study Comparing the Accuracy of Muscle Samples During Bladder Tumor Surgery

In this report the investigators compared two deep muscle sampling methods (Loop resection and Cold-Cup Biopsy) during endoscopic resection of bladder tumors for patients with suspected bladder cancer in Tygerberg hospital. The investigators found that both sampling methods are equal effective with regards to muscle representation, regardless of surgeon experience. An important finding is that Loop Resection produced less tissue artefacts in the deep muscle specimen for the more experienced surgeons, while there was no difference for less experienced surgeons. The investigators thus conclude that - from a practical point of view - Loop Resection should be the deep muscle sampling method of choice.