The treatment of bladder cancer by neothramycin.

Neothramycin (NTM), an anthramycin-group anticancer antibiotic, was used in the treatment of superficial carcinoma of the bladder. NTM was instilled into the bladder in the following dosages. Ten mg NTM in 20 ml of sterile distilled water was given first, and increased to 40 mg in 20 ml. This procedure was performed every second week to twice a day. Recently, in 2 patients, the treatment has been combined with 20 mg NTM intravenous administration. In 4 of the 11 patients (36%) the tumors disappeared completely, while in 6 patients (55%) there was partial disappearance of more than 50% and in one patient (9%) there was no effect. Three of the patients had irritable bladder symptom (temporarily). NTM was concluded to be effective for superficial carcinoma of the bladder.