Influence of high-energy shock waves and cisplatin on antitumor effect in murine bladder cancer.

The potential application of high-energy shock waves (HESW) for control of experimental bladder cancer was investigated. Subcutaneous 3-d murine bladder cancer (MBT-2) in C3H mice were exposed to HESW alone (250 to 1,500 shocks) or in combination with cisplatin (5 to 10 mg/kg, i.p.). Although HESW alone showed no influence on tumor growth, HESW/cisplatin combination therapy suppressed tumor growth more than cisplatin alone. Subsequent studies revealed that an air-fluid interface relative to tumor location played a pivotal role for the chemosensitizing effect of HESW. HESW treatment was able to enhance the cisplatin cytotoxicity only when the tumors were placed adjacent to the air-fluid interface.