Adverse events of hyperthermic intravesical chemotherapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patients

Introduction Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is one of the most frequent neoplasms in Denmark. Treatment of high-risk NMIBC usually consists of transurethral resection of bladder (TUR-B) followed by intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) instillations. Unfortunately, some patients are BCG-unresponsive and will relapse over time. Radical cystectomy is the recommended salvage treatment following BCG-failure or BCG-intolerance. However, not all patients are candidates for surgery and thus, in need of other treatment. This study investigates the adverse events of Hyperthermic Intravesical Chemotherapy (HIVEC) treatment. Methods Twenty-three high-risk NMIBC patients, who were BCG-unresponsive or had contraindications for BCG, received HIVEC with Mitomycin C. Prior to each instillation, patients were interviewed by a nurse, using a systematic questionnaire regarding the adverse events. Patients were followed with cytology and cystoscopy every fourth month. The primary outcome was adverse event related to the HIVEC treatment. Results In general, the adverse events were mild to moderate and often self-limiting. The most common adverse events were urinary frequency (23.6%), incontinence (19.4%) and urinary tract pain (12.2%). Conclusion In the current study, we found that HIVEC was a well-tolerated treatment. HIVEC might be a feasible option for patients, who experienced BCG-failure or BCG-intolerance and could potentially postpone or avoid radical cystectomy.