Prophylactic Effectiveness of Intravesical Chemotherapy in Superficial Bladder Tumors

Kim, Ki Kyung; Chung, Young Won; Chai, Soo Eung

Abstract

Recurrence in patients with superficial bladder tumor is a serious problem. In one series, the recurrence rate was 73%, and invasive cancer developed in 10% of patients with recurrences. To eliminate or reduce the rate of recurrence, topical chemotherapy has been tried and showed adjunct effects. We studied to evaluate prophylactic effects of topical chemotherapy in 51 patients with superficial bladder tumor admitted to the Department of Urology, Kyung Hee University Hospital during the period from April, 1979 to April, 1984. Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group A comprised 19 patients (Adriamycin; 8, Thio-TEPA; 11) treated with topical chemotherapy following initial TUR and 27 patients treated by TUR only. Group B comprised 5 patients treated with topical chemotherapy (Adriamycin) after repeated TUR and 7 patients among 27 patients who had repeated TUR for recurrence. Patients treated by TUR only were defined as control group. Recurrence rate was analyzed in each group. Following results were obtained. 1. In group A, recurrence rate was 2.54 in patients with chemotherapy comparing to 3.35 in control patients. Average interval of recurrence was 39.3 months in chemotherapy patients and 29.8 months in control patients. 2. In group B, recurrence rate was higher in chemotherapy patients than in control patients with rate of 6.6 and 5.3, respectively. But recurrence rate was diminished to 6.6 after chemotherapy comparing to pre-chemotherapy period (10.3). 3. There was no difference in recurrence rate relating to multiplicity of tumor as a whole.