title: A randomized pilot study of high-dose epirubicin as neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer of the bilharzial bladder.
abstract: Seventy-one patients with T2 and T3 bladder cancer were randomized to receive either two courses of epirubicin 120 mg/m2 i.v. push every 21 days pre-operatively, and four additional courses post-operatively (group I = 34 patients), or radical surgery (group II = 37 patients). At a median follow-up of 24 months (range 22 months to 38 months) 25 patients from group I and 14 patients from group II are still alive and disease-free. The estimated two-year disease-free survival percentages were 73.5 and 37.9%, respectively (P = 0.05). After initial chemotherapy, resected specimens were subjected to histopathological study of chemotherapeutic effects. Necrosis was detected in 95% of cases with squamous cell carcinoma and in 57.3% of cases with transitional cell carcinoma. We conclude that the benefit which was obtained by pre-operative and post-operative chemotherapy with epirubicin is promising and may represent a significant improvement in the treatment of patients with carcinoma of the bilharzial bladder.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gad el Mawla
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eissa
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Elattar
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hamza
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khaled
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Habboubi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Magrath
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Elsebai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000150:complications*; D015996:Survival Rate; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D015251:Epirubicin