Effect of Levofloxacin on the Efficacy and Adverse Events in Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin Treatment for Bladder Cancer: Results of a Randomized, Prospective, Multicenter Study.

Background: Although bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is a standard treatment for high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), a high rate of adverse events with a variety of grades remains a difficulty.

Objective: In this randomized, prospective, multicenter study, we examined whether levofloxacin, given after each intravesical instillation of BCG, could improve its tolerance in patients with intermediate- to high-risk urothelial carcinoma of the bladder without compromising its efficacy.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Overall, 106 Japanese patients (85 men and 21 women; age: median, 69.5 yr) with primary or recurrent NMIBC were randomized after transurethral resection to induce treatment with intravesical BCG plus levofloxacin (group 1) or BCG alone (group 2).

Intervention: Patients who underwent intravesical instillation of BCG were randomized with or without levofloxacin administration.

Outcome Measurements And Statistical Analysis: Adverse events were assessed using the National Cancer Institute-Common Toxicity Criteria version 3.0. Cumulative incidence functions and Kaplan-Meier methods were applied to estimate survival outcomes.

Results And Limitations: There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics between the groups. The completion rate of group 1 (85.5%) was not significantly lower than that of group 2 (76.5%; p = 0.321). There was no significant difference in the completion rate of patients with pollakisuria, painful micturition, gross hematuria, fever elevation, and others between the groups. The incidence of adverse events in patients with high-grade pollakisuria (7.3% vs 25.4%, p = 0.041) and fever (0% vs 9.1%, p = 0.034) was significantly lower in group 1. The 5-yr progression-free and cancer-specific survival rates were significantly better in group 1.

Conclusions: Prophylactic levofloxacin administration may reduce the severity of adverse events and contribute to better outcomes from BCG intravesical therapy in patients with NMIBC.

Patient Summary: Levofloxacin administration seems to be a safe and effective therapy for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients treated with bacillus Calmette-Guerin intravesical therapy.