[Thermotherapy for cancer of the urinary bladder in combination with tegafur and picibanil--with special reference to the serum bladder and bladder cancer tissue concentrations of tegafur in a perfusion fluid].

Thermotherapy combined with Tegafur and Picibanil was performed in 32 patients with cancer of the urinary bladder. The thermotherapy was performed with a closed circulation type of thermotherapeutic apparatus manufactured for trial, using a 3-way catheter. The flow quantity 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 at the urethral meatus. The thermotherapy was performed for 6 hours once a week. Tegafur and Picibanil were added to the perfusate at the time of thermotherapy. No anesthesia was used. Complete disappearance of tumor occurred in 9 cases. The concentration of Tegafur in the serum, tumor and bladder wall was simultaneously measured. The serum levels after two hours of thermotherapy with 16 gm of dissolved Tegafur showed that FT-207 was 28.837 mcg/ml and 5-FU, 0.028 mcg/ml. After 4 hours the FT-207 was 36.464 mcg/ml and 5-FU, 0.040 mcg/ml. By the 6th hour FT-207 was 39.430 mcg/ml and 5-FU, 0.049 mcg/ml. After 24 hours FT-207 was 11.242 mcg/ml and 5-FU, 0.013 mcg/ml in the serum, while FT-207 was 8.205 mcg/g and 5-FU, 0.274 mcg/g in the bladder tumor, and FT-207 was 17.029 mcg/g and 5-FU, 0.157 mcg/g in the bladder wall. Nausea was observed in 1 case in which a large quantity of Tegafur was absorbed. No other side effects were noted.