Intravesical instillation of adriamycin: influence on bladder capacity

The bladder capacities of 75 patients with superficial bladder tumors were measured prior to and during monthly intravesical instillation therapy with adriamycin. When taken off therapy, a decrease in bladder capacity of more than 20% was observed in 18 of the patients. In 14 of the treated patients an increase in bladder capacity of more than 20% was observed. In patients with reduced bladder capacity when taken off therapy, there were no correlations between the degree of decreased bladder capacity and the number of instillations or the total instilled amount of adriamycin, indicating that the observed decrease in bladder capacity was caused by the underlying disease and not by the treatment per se.