Mitomycin C bladder instillation therapy for bladder tumors

Patients with bladder tumors underwent a course of topical bladder instillation of 20 mg. mitomycin C in 20 ml. sterilized distilled water 3 times weekly for a total of 20 procedures. In 22 of the 50 patients (44 per cent) the tumors disappeared completely, while in 16 patients (32 per cent) there was partial disappearance and in 12 patients (24 per cent) there was no affect. Therefore, the total effective rate was 76 per cent. We concluded from our studies that mitomycin C topical therapy could be applied to low stage and low grade bladder tumors less than 1 cm. in diameter, without regard to the number of tumors. We now use mitomycin C topical therapy in all cases of bladder tumors. Local bladder reaction was noted in 3 cases but a complete course of therapy was accomplished in each case--in 2 cases without interruption of treatment and in 1 case by delaying treatment for 1 week. Abnormal values of hematocrit, white blood cells and platelets in blood were not observed during therapy.