Effectiveness and safety of valrubicin in non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer following reintroduction: Results from a medical chart review study.

Abstract

296 Background: Valrubicin was approved in the United States in 1998, removed from the market in 2002 because of manufacturing issues, and reintroduced in 2009. We report secondary outcomes and concomitant medication use from a US multicenter, observational, retrospective study. Methods: Medical records of adult patients with non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) who used valrubicin were abstracted (March–September 2011). Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed for disease-free survival (DFS), progression-free survival (PFS), worsening-free survival (WFS), cystectomy-free survival (CFS), and time to cystectomy. Results: 113 patients (mean age, 73.7 years) received intravesical valrubicin (median, 6 instillations [range, 2–18]). 107 patients (94.7%) received >3 instillations; 97 (85.8%) completed the full course of therapy (≥6 instillations). DFS was 51.6% (95% CI, 40.9%–61.3%) at 3 months, 30.4% (95% CI, 20.4%–41.1%) at 6 months, and median DFS was 3.5 months (95% CI, 2.5–4.0). PFS was 97.6% (95% CI, 90.9%–99.4%) at 3 months, 87.2% (95% CI, 75.4%–93.5%) at 6 months, and median PFS was 18.2 months (95% CI, 17.2–19.0). WFS was 47.4% (95% CI, 37.2%–57.0%) at 3 months and 28.1% (95% CI, 18.8%–38.2%) at 6 months. CFS was 98.0% (95% CI, 92.2%–99.5%) at 3 months and 93.7% (95% CI, 85.2%–97.4%) at 6 months. Median CFS was not reached; only 13.3% of patients underwent radical cystectomy after starting valrubicin. 56 patients (49.6%) experienced ≥1 local adverse reaction; the most common were hematuria and pollakiuria (both 17.7%), micturition urgency (15.9%), and bladder spasm (14.2%). 55 patients (48.7%) used ≥1 concomitant medication for local adverse reactions; the most commonly used were urinary antispasmodics (21.2%), fluoroquinolones (14.2%), and other urologicals (14.2%). Conclusions: In patients with NMIBC treated with intravesical valrubicin, median DFS and PFS were 3.5 and 18.2 months, respectively, and median CFS was not reached as only 13% of patients underwent radical cystectomy. Valrubicin was well tolerated, and most patients received the full course of 6 instillations. Funding: Research and abstract were supported by Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.