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What type of chemotherapy is used for bladder cancer?

April 26, 2017bladder cancer chemotherapy type Used

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What type of chemotherapy is used for bladder cancer?

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A combination of drugs, called MVAC, has been used as the standard treatment for bladder cancer for many years, based on the results of clinical trials from the 1990s. MVAC has been useful in bladder cancer in delaying recurrence, extending life and sometimes achieving cure, but it has severe side effects. Other drugs are now in clinical trials to determine if there is a combination of drugs that works better and has fewer side effects. MVAC uses four drugs: methotrexate (MTX, Amethopterin, Rheumatrex, Trexall), vinblastine (Velban), doxorubicin (Adriamycin, Rubex), and cisplatin (Platinol). More recent clinical trials have shown that the combination of a newer drug gemcitabine (Gemzar), plus cisplatin, gives similar anticancer effects to the MVAC combination but with fewer side effects. Clinical trials are currently studying this new combination with the addition of other chemotherapy agents, such as paclitaxel (Taxol), docetaxel (Taxotere), and ifosfamide (Ifex).