Role of intravesical mitomycin C in management of superficial bladder tumors.

Forty-three patients with biopsy-proved Stage O or A transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder, whose tumors were not amenable to transurethral resection, received mitomycin C intravesically at weekly intervals for eight treatments. Five different drug doses were used (20, 25, 30, 40, and 60 mg). Best response rates occurred at doses of 30 mg. or higher. Complete responses occurred in 49% of patients, partial responses in 30%, and improvement in 5%, for an over-all effective rate of 84%. Responses were achieved regardless of tumor extent as long as individual tumors were 1 cm. or less in diameter. Toxicity was minimal. The necessary for maintenance therapy in complete responders remains to be proved.