Intra-arterial adriamycin chemotherapy in combination with radiotherapy for advanced bladder cancer

A total of 38 patients with locally advanced bladder cancer (T2, n = 14; T3, n = 14; T4, n = 10) were treated with intra-arterial Adriamycin chemotherapy in combination with radiotherapy. The clinical as well as the pathological efficacy of this treatment was evaluated in all patients. Clinically, 23 (60.5%) of the 38 patients achieved a complete remission (CR), 12 (31.6%) achieved a partial remission (PR), and 3 (7.9%) remained stable (NC). The pathological efficacy was evaluated according to the criteria of Shimosato et al., with 20 (52.6%) of the 38 patients being categorized as grade IV; 2 (5.3%), as grade III; 12 (31.6%) as grade II; and 4 (10.5%), as grade 0. The 5-year actuarial survival as a function of clinical stage amounted to 91.6% for T2, 50.0% for T3, and 37.4% for T4 (T2 vs T3, P less than 0.05; T2 vs T4, P less than 0.01). The 5-year actuarial survival determined according to the clinical and the pathological efficacy of treatment were 74.1% for CRs, 56.2% for PRs, and 0 for NCs (CR vs NC, P less than 0.01; PR vs NC, P less than 0.01). Surgery for preservation of the bladder was performed in 30 of the 33 patients who achieved clinical and pathological CRs or PRs. The 5-year actuarial survival of these 30 patients was 73.2%. These results demonstrate that this therapy is a useful method for the treatment of locally advanced bladder cancer and that preservation of the bladder might be feasible in patients who achieve clinical and pathological CRs or PRs during this treatment.