Mitomycin Vs Ethrubacin your thoughts.

Epirubicin, also known as Ethrubacin or by its brand name Ellence, is a chemotherapy drug used to treat non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). It is administered via intravesical instillation, where the liquid drug is delivered directly into the bladder through a catheter. 

Use in Bladder Cancer Treatment 

Adjuvant Therapy: Epirubicin is primarily used as an adjuvant therapy after transurethral resection of a bladder tumor (TURBT) to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.

Alternative to BCG: In many countries, Epirubicin is an available option for patients who are not suitable for the standard Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy treatment or in cases of BCG shortages.

Efficacy: Studies have shown that Epirubicin is effective in reducing recurrence rates in NMIBC patients and has comparable efficacy to other intravesical chemotherapy agents like Mitomycin C and Gemcitabine. 

How It Works

Epirubicin is an anthracycline derivative that works by interfering with the DNA of cancer cells, which prevents them from replicating and growing. This localized delivery method helps to target the cancer cells in the bladder lining while minimizing systemic toxicity to the rest of the body. 

Common Side Effects

The side effects of intravesical Epirubicin treatment are generally localized to the bladder and usually stop a few days after treatment. The most frequently reported adverse events include: 

Cystitis (bladder inflammation)

Dysuria (painful urination)

Pollakiuria (frequent urination)

Hematuria (blood in the urine)

Bladder irritation/spasms 

Important Considerations

Approvals: While widely used in Europe and other regions, Epirubicin is not approved for intravesical treatment of bladder cancer in the United States.

Hyperthermia Combination: Epirubicin can also be used in combination with hyperthermia (heating the bladder lining using a probe) in some cases, which appears to make cancer cells more sensitive to the chemotherapy.

Consult Your Doctor: Treatment decisions depend on individual patient factors and cancer characteristics (stage and grade). Patients should discuss all treatment options, including the benefits and risks, with their urologist or oncology team. 

Hi Simon. We don't come across Epirubicin often in this group. I have done a  search and found a post over a year ago where the poster reported a good outcome with this. Hopefully someone with experience will come along to help. Best wishes.

I get that it doesn't come up very often on here, but I'd still like to know whether others would try this based on hospital recommendation if they were in my shoes of having to make a decision even based upon limited knowledge.

Hello Simon, so sorry to hear the Mitomycin treatment didn’t work for you. I honestly believe the Doctors, Nurses and other NHS do a wonderful job. I would go with the recommendations they outline. Sometimes I think we tend to Overgoogleise things instead of relying on the expertise and knowledge of the medical staff. Easy for me to say I know. Whatever decision you make I hope all goes well.