[Thermotherapy for cancer of the urinary bladder in combination with tegafur suppository and picibanil--concentrations of tegafur in the serum and tissues in bladder carcinoma].

Thermotherapy combined with tegafur (FT-207) and Picibanil was performed in 13 patients with cancer of the urinary bladder. The thermotherapy was performed using a closed circulation type of thermotherapeutic apparatus manufactured for this experiment, by way of a 3-way catheter. The flow rate of the perfusate was 150 ml/min at a constant temperature of 43 degrees C. The temperature was monitored at the inlet and outlet catheter of the urethral meatus. The thermotherapy was performed for a 6-hour period once a week. A tegafur 3000-mg suppository was given 2 hours before the thermotherapy, and Picibanil was added to the perfusate at the time of thermotherapy. No anesthesia was used. Complete disappearance of the tumor was observed in 1 case. The concentrations of tegafur in the serum, tumor and bladder wall were measured simultaneously. The levels obtained at two hours after rectal administration of the tegafur 3000-mg suppository were 19.420 mcg/ml for FT-207 and 0.025 mcg/ml for 5-FU in the serum, 13.170 mcg/g for FT-207 and 0.140 mcg/g for 5-FU in the bladder tumor, and 20.447 mcg/g for FT-207 and 0.252 mcg/g for 5-FU in the bladder wall. Eruption was observed in 1 case. No other side effects were noted.