Urinary diversion and systemic chemotherapy in the treatment of experimental early neoplastic lesions of the bladder.

We gave 102 male Fischer 344 rats (100 to 200 g) 0.2 per cent nitrofurylthiazolyl formamide (FANFT) diet for 14 weeks. Half of the animals underwent urinary diversion and half, sham operation. All animals resumed the FANFT diet. Half of each of the groups received four weekly i.p. injections of cyclophosphamide and the remainder received saline injections. The animals were sacrificed 12 weeks after diversion or sham operation. The incidences of tumor and tumor invasion were tabulated. Urinary diversion produced a greater effect in reducing progression of early neoplastic lesions to gross or microscopically invasive tumor than did systemic cyclophosphamide; however, an additive effect was noted when diversion and cyclophosphamide therapy were combined.