Treatment of Superficial Bladder Cancer with Intravesical Mitomycin C: Analysis of Immediate and Long-Term Response in 70 Patients

Abstract

A total of 70 patients received intravesical mitomycin C for treatment of superficial bladdercancer. The drug was instilled weekly for 8 weeks. Thirty-nine patients (56 per cent) had failedthiotepa therapy and 25 had high grade tumors.Of the patients 27 (39 per cent) had complete eradication of tumor at the initial 3-monthevaluation and an additional 27 had a partial response. The response did not vary with initial tumorgrade or stage. Followup averaged 28 months for the 70 patients. A muscle invasive tumor developedduring followup in 7 per cent of the patients with an initial complete response, 15 per cent with apartial response and 25 per cent of the initial failures. To date 5 patients (7 per cent) have died ofbladder cancer.Intravesical mitomycin C is an effective modality for treatment of superficial bladder cancer. Patients achieving a complete response are at little risk for progressive disease.