A phase I-II study on intravesical Gemcitabine in superficial bladder papillary tumors

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The possible role of gemcitabine inintravesical therapy of superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (TCCB) has been suggested. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Urological Group validated the use of papillary marker lesion left in the bladder after TUR as the best tool to measure the efficacy of a drug by intravesical route against TCCB. The rsults on 27 patients are herein presented. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients, with recurrent superficial TCCB (Ta-T1, G1-G2), were treated with intravesical gemcitabine for 1 to 3 papillary marker lesions (5-15 mm) left unreseacted after TUR. Twenty-one patients (78%) had recurrent tum…