[Intra-arterial chemotherapy in urological cancer]

We herein describe the present status of intra-arterial chemotherapy for patients with renal cell carcinoma and bladder cancer, and discuss the prospect of intra-arterial chemotherapy in these urological diseases. The combination of immunotherapy and intra-arterial chemoembolization with microcapsules may prolong the survival of patents with unresectable tumors. However, the role of intra-arterial chemotherapy in renal cell carcinoma is limited. For bladder cancer, several modifications to increase the effect of intra-arterial chemotherapy have been documented. The combination of intra-arterial chemotherapy and radiotherapy resulted in a complete response rate of 84-91%, supporting the possibility of bladder preservation for patients with invasive bladder cancer. To establish the effectiveness of intra-arterial chemotherapy, large scaled prospective randomized studies are necessary.