The Effect of Intravesical Thiotepa on the Recurrence Rate of Newly Diagnosed Superficial Bladder Cancer. An MRC Study

Abstract

Four hundred and seventeen patients with newly diagnosed superficial bladder tumours (Ta or T1) were treated with complete transurethral resection and then randomised between three groups. Group 1 had an instillation of 30 mg thiotepa at the time of primary treatment. Group 2 had instillations of thiotepa at 3-monthly intervals for a year. Group 3 was given no instillation. Regular check cystoscopies revealed no significant difference in the rate at which tumours recurred in the three groups (p = 0.4 and P = 0.7 for control vs thiotepa given once and five times respectively). It was concluded that neither thiotepa regimen produced sufficient improvement to justify its use in this group of patients.