title: Treatment of carcinoma in situ of the urinary bladder with bropirimine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore new treatment strategies in high-risk superficial bladder cancer patients, such as recurrent carcinoma in situ (CIS) or pT1 transitional cell carcinoma after intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG).
  
  
  METHODS
  Mechanism of action, pharmacology and the results of clinical phase I and II trials with the oral biological response modifier bropirimine are reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a phase II trial in which CIS patients were treated, 17 complete responses were seen in 29 patients (59%) at the 3,000-mg dose level. Moreover, this trial indicated that bropirimine is a promising alternative in BCG recurrent or BCG intolerant patients: in 13 BCG failures, 6 complete responses were seen. Side effects are mild to moderate, mainly flu-like symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that bropirimine is effective at 3,000 mg/day, and that patients with prior BCG therapy may be salvaged by bropirimine treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Witjes
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003596:Cytosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003596:Cytosine; C033560:bropirimine