Short-term and long-term effect of prophylactic treatment of superficial bladder cancer with intravesical adriamycin.

37 patients with recurrent Ta/T1 bladder cancer were treated with intravesical adriamycin (80 mg monthly) after complete TUR (1977-1979). Within a minimum follow-up of 5 years, 11 of them developed evidence of progression - muscle invasion or distant metastases. 8 of them have died of bladder cancer. Ten patients showed a complete response to adriamycin therapy, developing no new tumors during the period of treatment (1 year). One of them developed distant metastases. The remaining 27 patients continued to develop recurrences, despite adriamycin therapy, though the recurrence rate was reduced by at least 50% in 5 of them. The risk of progression and death remains high if the patient continues to have recurrences, even in cases in which the recurrence rate is apparently reduced. Recurrent superficial bladder cancer remains a dangerous disease. The prognosis is good if recurrences cease altogether during prophylactic intravesical adriamycin treatment.