Intravenous cisplatin for superficial bladder tumors

Cisplatin, 1.25 mg/kg IV QM, was administered to 15 patients with recurrent flat carcinoma in situ and/or bladder tumors confined to the mucosa and lamina propria. All patients had a history of multiple transurethral resection and 4 had received prior irradiation and two prior intravesical thiophosphoramide. Response was evaluated by urinary cytologic findings, cystoscopy and biopsy. Of 14 adequately treated cases, four (28%) had disappearance of all visible lesions, cystoscopically, for a median of eight months (range, 8-18), and six exhibited transiently a greater than 50% decrease in the number of tumors. However, no patient demonstrated a complete remission--all had persistently positive urinary cytologies. Nausea and vomiting, even at this dose level, was significant and at times, severe. Cisplatin, in the dose and schedule used, was found to be ineffective in controlling low-stage bladder tumors.