Intra-arterial chemotherapy for bladder cancer

Intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy with adriamycin (ADM) was carried out in 32 patients with bladder cancer prior to total cystectomy. An oblique incision approximately 12 cm long was made in the gluteal region to expose either the superior or inferior gluteal artery, into which a Teflon catheter was inserted and fixed. The distal end of the catheter was taken out from under the skin in the precordial region. Via this catheter, a single dose of 10 mg ADM was injected twice a week. Superior-gluteal-artery infusion chemotherapy was performed in 7 patients; the 5-year survival rate was 14.3%, which was not as high as expected. Inferior-gluteal-artery infusion chemotherapy was performed in 25 patients. Cisplatin (CDDP) was used with ADM in 8 patients. Radiation and/or hyperthermia were used in 11 patients. The 5-year survival rate in these 25 patients was 58.4%, which was considered to be satisfactory. Of these 25 patients, 5 were stage-T4 cases; for these, the treatment was ineffective, and all 5 died within 2 years. Of the 6 patients at stage T2, 1 died, as did 1 patient with carcinoma in situ (CIS). Of the 13 patients with bladder cancer at stage T3, 3 died; lymph-node metastases were found in all 3 of these cases. Of the 25 patients who received inferior-gluteal-artery infusion chemotherapy, 9 died of cancer; all 9 died within 2 years due to distant metastases. There was no evidence of recurrence in any patient who survived for 2 years or more after total cystectomy. Therefore, inferior-gluteal-artery infusion chemotherapy may be effective as a preoperative adjuvant therapy with no serious side effects.