[Effect of prophylactic treatment with intravesical epirubicin in recurrence of superficial bladder tumor].

OBJECTIVES

To determine the efficacy in the prevention of tumor recurrence, disease free interval and side effects of intravesical epirrubicin post-TUR of superficial bladder tumor.

METHODS

From February 1993 to November 1997, 57 patients with stage Ta, T1, grade I, II and III tumor of the bladder were studied. These patients were treated with 50 mg epirrubicin in 50 ml saline solution administered intravesically on 15 occasions for one year after surgery. The mean follow-up was 18 months. The follow-up protocol included clinical, analytical, cytological, US and cystoscopic control evaluations every 3 months for the first year, every 6 months for the second and third year, and yearly thereafter.

RESULTS

At a mean follow-up of 30.2 months, 31.5% (18/55) of the patients showed tumor recurrence; the disease free interval was 17 months for the remaining 18 patients and 43 months for the overall group. Cystitis was observed as an adverse effect in 5 of 57 patients (8.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

The study shows that prophylactic treatment with intravesical epirrubicin for the prevention of recurrence in superficial bladder tumor has few side effects and its efficacy is similar to that reported in other studies.