[Combination therapy of intra-arterial chemotherapy and local hyperthermia for bladder cancer]

Fourteen patients (age range 50-79 mean 64.2) with locally advanced bladder cancer or CIS have been treated with combination of selective intra-arterial infusion of adriamycin (ADM) and/or cisplatin (CDDP) and local hyperthermia, prior to planed surgical resection. The follow-up periods ranged from 33 to 70 months (median 52). Clinical staging was based on biopsy, CT, Echo, chest X-ray, bone scintigraphy, and IVP. The initial tumor stage was Tis in 1 patients, cT2 in 4, and cT3 in 9. Catheterization technique: with the patient in the prone position, the gluteal muscles were dissected to expose the inferior gluteal artery, then catheter was inserted. The tip was wedged in the internal iliac artery below the bifurcation of the superior gluteal artery. ADM 10-20 mg and/or CDDP 10-20 mg were infused once or twice a week, more than eight times during hyperthermia. The total dose of ADM and CDDP were 40-360 mg and 50-360 mg. Local bladder hyperthermia was achieved with a radiofrequency generator. Novatherm IH-500 (Inter-Nova Co. Ltd, Japan). Intravesical temperature was maintained over 40 degrees C for an hour. Surgical resection included total cystectomy (10 patients), partial cystectomy (3) and TUR (1). Of evaluable 8 patients, CR was obtained in 2 patients, PR in 4, NC in 1 and PD in 1. The survival rate (Kaplan Meier method) at 3 years was 71.4% (n = 9) and at 5 years, 62.5% (n = 4). Five patients died, but two of them died of other causes (traffic accident and spinal cord injury). Severe toxicity, consisting of bone marrow suppression (3) perineal erosion (3) and ischialgia (1), was well tolerated. In conclusion, our result suggests combination therapy of intra-arterial chemotherapy and local hyperthermia is safe with minimal systemic side effects, and may prolong survival with invasive bladder cancer.