[Prevention of topic toxicity of BCG with single-dose prulifloxacin. Preliminary results of a randomized pilot study].

Introduction: Toxicity is a major problem for patients undergoing intravesical therapy with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for the conservative management of intermediate or high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMI-BC). A prospective pilot trial was designed to evaluate the adoption of a single dose of prulifloxacin to prevent the toxicity of BCG. Treatment tolerability and its possible influence on BCG efficacy have been analyzed.

A 1-year maintenance after early adjuvant intravesical chemotherapy has a limited efficacy in preventing recurrence of intermediate risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of 1-year maintenance after a 6-week cycle of early intravesical chemotherapy, as the role of maintenance in intravesical chemotherapy is debated.

Patients And Methods: Between May 2002 and August 2003, 577 patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMI-BC) underwent transurethral resection (TUR) and early intravesical chemotherapy (epirubicin, 80 mg/50 mL). They were randomized between a 6-week induction cycle and the induction cycle plus maintenance with 10 monthly instillations.

Oral chemotherapy in hormone-refractory prostate carcinoma patients unwilling to be admitted to hospital.

Objectives: To investigate the safety and efficacy in terms of PSA response of a low-dose oral combination of estramustine phosphate (EMP) and etoposide (VP16) in hormone- refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) patients. Well-tolerated outpatient chemotherapy regimens for patients unfit and/or unwilling to be admitted to hospital are needed.

Methods: Fifty-six HRPC patients with metastatic disease (median age 75 years) were randomized between arm A (daily oral EMP 10 mg/kg, in 3 doses) and arm B (28-day cycle with low-dose EMP 3 mg/kg once daily plus VP16 25 mg/m(2) once daily on days 1 through 14).

Cigarette smoking and drinking water source: correlation with clinical features and pathology of superficial bladder carcinoma.

Objective: Water source and cigarette smoking are related to clinical characteristics and pathology of superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Methods: Tumor number, dimension, G-grade, T-stage, recurrences, cigarette smoking and water supply were recorded in patients harboring Ta-T1 G1-3 transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Results: Of 577 patients, 61% had multiple and 36% recurrent tumors.

Multiplicity and history have a detrimental effect on survival of patients with T1G3 bladder tumors selected for conservative treatment.

Purpose: In the absence of Tis tumor we assessed whether history and multiplicity have a detrimental effect on conservative treatment in carefully selected patients with T1G3 bladder carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: Between January 1976 and December 1999, 165 select patients with T1G3 bladder tumors were conservatively treated with transurethral resection plus adjuvant intravesical therapy. Patients with concomitant or previous Tis, previous T1G3, tumor size greater than 3 cm and more than 3 lesions were excluded from analysis.