Intravesical chemotherapy: combination with Tween 80 increases cytotoxicity in vitro.

Tween 80 was shown to enhance significantly the cytotoxic activities of the four drugs (adriamycin, epodyl, mitomycin-c, thiotepa) most frequently administered intravesically to treat superficial bladder cancer. The colony forming ability of a human bladder cancer cell line, RT112, was measured following a 1 h exposure to each of the four drugs both alone and in combination with 0.1% and 0.3% Tween 80. Cell survival was not reduced by 0.1% Tween 80 alone. We conclude that the combination of Tween 80 with these drugs might increase the therapeutic index of intravesical chemotherapy.