Intravesical electromotive administration of drugs for treatment of superficial bladder cancer: a comparative Phase II study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of electromotive administration (EMDA) of intravesical mitomycin-C (MMC) in patients with superficial bladder tumors and to evaluate the toxicity of the treatment.


METHODS
Thirteen patients with multifocal Stages Ta-T1 and G1-G2 transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder, primary or recurrent (group A), received MMC 40 mg (retained in the bladder for 2 hours) once a week for 8 weeks. Fifteen patients with the same characteristics (group B) were treated with EMDA/MMC at a current of 15 mA for 20 minutes once a week for 8 weeks. All lesions in the bladder except one (marker) were resected in each patient.


RESULTS
In group A, 5 of 12 patients (41.6%) demonstrated complete macroscopic and histologic disappearance of the marker lesion (complete response [CR]). In group B, 6 of 15 patients (40%) had a similar CR. Recurrence rate in responders was 60% in group A versus 33% in group B after 7.6 and 6 months, respectively. Disease-free interval was 14.5 months in the EMDA/MMC group compared to 10.5 months in the MMC group. Side effects were few.


CONCLUSIONS
In intermediate risk patients with TCC of the bladder, EMDA/MMC was not superior to MMC alone with a CR rate of 41% versus 41.6%. In responders, a lower recurrence rate and a longer disease-free interval were observed in the EMDA/MMC group.
Brausi
M
M
Division of Urology, B. Ramazzini Hospital, Carpi, Italy.
Campo
B
B
Pizzocaro
G
G
Rigatti
P
P
Parma
A
A
Mazza
G
G
Vicini
A
A
Stephen
R L
RL
D000283:Administration, Intravesical; D000368:Aged; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004560:Electricity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D016685:Mitomycin