Chemotherapy for carcinoma in situ of the bladder

In an 8-year period, 71 patients were diagnosed as having carcinoma in situ of the bladder. Twenty patients with primary carcinoma in situ were treated with systemic cyclophosphamide or intravesical mitomycin C and 19 of them survived 3 years. Three patients required cystectomy: 1 for invasive cancer and 2 for intractable symptoms in the absence of tumour. Fifty-one patients had either secondary or concomitant carcinoma in situ. Systemic or intravesical chemotherapy was given to 28 patients in whom carcinoma in situ was associated with G1 or G2 exophytic superficial tumour: there was only one cancer death in 3 years. Fifteen patients with G3 carcinoma in situ associated with a G3 or invasive exophytic tumour were treated with radiotherapy: 9 responded but 4 of the 6 with radio-insensitive tumours died of cancer within 3 years. Eight patients with secondary carcinoma in situ were managed by transurethral resection alone: in 6 there was spontaneous regression and 2 developed muscle invasion within 1 year. These results compare well with those of immunotherapy or early radical surgery and suggest that chemotherapy should be given a trial in patients with carcinoma in situ.