Intravesical mitomycin C combined with hyperthermia for patients with T1G3 transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

OBJECTIVES: Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) classified as T1G3 represents one of the most challenging issues in urologic oncology. Although it is still considered a lesion amenable for conservative management, the risk for recurrence and progression remains high. The aim of this study was to define both recurrence and progression rate in patients with T1G3 UCC treated by complete transurethral resection (TURT) and adjuvant thermochemotherapy approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the clinical data of patients with T1G3 NMIBC who underwent TURT followed by thermochemotherapy (TCT) treatment. Data recorded included age, gender, previous resections, previous intravesical treatment, time to tumor recurrence, and progression. TCT was given once weekly for 6 consecutive weeks, followed by 6 maintenance sessions at 4 to 6 weeks intervals. During each treatment session, 40 mg of mitomycin C (MMC) was instilled into the bladder in combination with bladder wall hyperthermia of 42 ± 2 °C for 60 minutes. Follow-up cystoscopy and urinary cytology were performed every 3 months for the first 2 years and than biannually. RESULTS: A total of 56 T1G3 patients were treated with adjuvant TCT treatment at 7 urologic centers. Mean age was 68 years (range 35-91), 10 were females and 46 were males. Twenty-six patients failed on at least 1 previous intravesical treatment. Five patients who dropped out due to adverse events before reaching the first outcome evaluation cystoscopy were referred to another intravesical therapy, and were therefore excluded from the current analysis. A total 51 patients were available for analysis. Median follow-up time of tumor-free patients was 18 months (average 20, range 2-49 months). Seventeen patients (33.3%) had tumor recurrence and 4 of them progressed to muscle invasive disease. The median time to recurrence was 9 months (average 11, range 2-31 months). The Kaplan-Meier estimated recurrence rate for this group is: 42.9% at 2 years, 51.0% at 4 years. CONCLUSIONS: TCT can be an effective adjuvant treatment option after TURT to prevent recurrence in patients with T1G3 NMIBC. Progression rate after this treatment was low (7.9%). TCT treatment was documented to be effective also in those who failed previous intravesical BCG. Treatment was confirmed to be safe and well tolerated.

[Treatment of acute iatrogenic cystitis secondary to bladder chemo-immuno-instillation or pelvic radiotherapy]. / Trattamento della cistite acuta iatrogena secondaria a chemio-immunoinstillazioni vescicali o a radioterapia pelvica.

The onset of cystitis during intravesical chemo-immunotherapy for the treatment of non-muscle invasive transitional cell bladder tumor, or after pelvic radiotherapy mainly for prostate cancer, is a frequent clinical situation, not easily manageable due to the lack of responsiveness to symptomatic drugs, often resulting in discontinuation of cancer treatment in many cases.?The similarity of symptoms with those of the painful bladder syndrome, otherwise called interstitial cystitis, has led us to use the same treatment with intravesical sodium hyaluronate in order to obtain an improvement of symptomatology. We therefore performed a prospective study on 55 consecutive male symptomatic patients, aged from 54 to 81 years: 11 after radiotherapy, 17 after BCG and 27 after Mitomicyn C bladder instillations ,12 of whom in combination with bladder hyperthermia.?All subjects underwent bladder instillations with sodium hyaluronate 40 mg in 50 mL weekly for 8 to 24 weeks depending on the time needed to the resolution of the symptoms.?During the first 4 weeks 32 mg of dexamethasone were also instilled intravesically, mixed with hyaluronate, in order to obtain a stronger anti-inflammatory activity due also to its higher capacity of penetration in the bladder mucosa. The symptoms intensity was evaluated through a Visual Analogue Score (VAS) of the discomfort and pain perceived from 0 to 10, and bladder capacity was recorded with micturition diary before and after the treatment.?After 16 weeks VAS improved in every case of chemical cystitis from an initial mean value of 8.6 to a final mean value of 1(with 3 as a maximum value recorded). The difference was highly significant (p <0.001). Bladder capacity increased in all cases of chemical cystitis from a mean value of 56 to 276 mL with a highly significant improvement (p <0.001) and in all cases of post-actinic cystitis from a mean bladder capacity of 89 to a final mean value of 239 mL, with a significant improvement (p= 0.05). We did not observe any side effect due to our treatment. Therefore, we can conclude that bladder instillation with sodium hyaluronate for at least 8 weeks and dexamethasone in the first 4 weeks can solve the symptoms of iatrogenic cystitis secondary to chemo-immunotherapy or pelvic radiotherapy, without incurring in side effects. To our knowledge this treatment has never been published before in scientific medical literature.