Objectives: To assess the effect and tolerance of a 6-week course of intravesical valrubicin on a tumour intentionally left in the bladder (marker lesion) following incomplete transurethral resection of the bladder (TURBT).
Patients and methods: In a prospective phase II study, 40 patients with refractory superficial transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), with or without carcinoma in situ, underwent TURBT at which a tumour <1 cm in diameter was deliberately left in the bladder. They were then treated with six instillations of 800 mg valrubicin at weekly intervals. Patients were assessed three months after the initial TURBT by cystoscopy and biopsy. Patients remaining clear of disease underwent repeat cystoscopies at 3-monthly intervals until recurrence or for up 2 years.
Results: 21/39 (54%) of patients were found to be clinically clear of disease upon cystoscopic examination at 3 months. 18/39 (46%) of patients were considered histologically clear of bladder disease. The current estimate of the mean time to recurrence is 248 days.
Conclusions: A 6-week course of intravesical valrubicin has proved effective in ablating a marker tumour left in the bladder after incomplete TURBT and in preventing or delaying recurrence of further tumours in a group of patients with previously treated superficial TCC.