Investig Clin Urol.  2023 Nov;64(6):554-560. 10.4111/icu.20230161.

The effect of immediate neoadjuvant electromotive instillation of mitomycin C with Bacillus Calmette–Guérin versus BCG alone in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: A randomized controlled trial

• Azab AE
• Abdelbary A
• Okasha AEFM
• Aboulkassem H
• Zaghloul AS
• Karkeet RM
• Abdelrahman I

• KMID: 2547429
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4111/icu.20230161

Abstract

Purpose
The clinical effect of neoadjuvant intravesical instillation of chemotherapy immediately before transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) has been a subject of recent research. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of immediate neoadjuvant electromotive instillation of mitomycin C before transurethral resection for patients with non-muscle-invasive urothelial bladder cancer.
Materials and Methods
Our study was a randomized clinical trial carried out on 50 patients diagnosed with non-muscle-invasive urothelial bladder cancer. Patients were classified into two groups: Group I consisted of 25 patients who received neoadjuvant electromotive drug administration of mitomycin C before TURBT and intravesical bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) per week for 6 weeks; Group II consisted of 25 patients who were treated with TURBT followed by intravesical BCG per week for 6 weeks alone (standard of care). Patients were followed up at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months by cystoscopy.
Results
Patients who received neoadjuvant electromotive drug administration of mitomycin C before TURBT in combination with BCG had a low recurrence rate compared with those who received BCG alone (12.0% vs. 48.0%, respectively; p=0.012) and a longer disease-free interval (88.0% vs. 52.0%, respectively; p=0.012). Four patients developed progression to muscle-invasive disease (16.0%) in the BCG alone group. However, this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.516). Regarding adverse effects, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups.
Conclusions
Neoadjuvant intravesical electromotive drug administration of mitomycin C before TURBT is safe; reduces recurrence rates and enhances the disease-free interval compared with TURBT followed by BCG alone.

Keyword

Electrochemotherapy; Mitomycin; Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer; Recurrence; Transurethral resection of bladder