Which regional chemotherapy route is used to deliver drugs directly into the urinary bladder?

Which regional chemotherapy route is used to deliver drugs directly into the urinary bladder?

• A. Intraarterial
• B. Intraperitoneal
• C. Intravesical
• D. Intrathecal

Answer: (C)

Delivering chemotherapy directly into the urinary bladder is intravesical therapy. This approach places the drug inside the bladder through a catheter passed via the urethra, creating a high local concentration on the bladder lining while minimizing systemic exposure. It’s particularly useful for localized bladder diseases, such as non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, where local control is the goal. Other regional routes target different spaces: intraarterial delivers drug via arteries to a region, intraperitoneal places it in the peritoneal cavity, and intrathecal introduces it into the cerebrospinal fluid. These do not provide direct bladder exposure, so intravesical delivery is the appropriate route.

Delivering chemotherapy directly into the urinary bladder is intravesical therapy. This approach places the drug inside the bladder through a catheter passed via the urethra, creating a high local concentration on the bladder lining while minimizing systemic exposure. It’s particularly useful for localized bladder diseases, such as non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, where local control is the goal. Other regional routes target different spaces: intraarterial delivers drug via arteries to a region, intraperitoneal places it in the peritoneal cavity, and intrathecal introduces it into the cerebrospinal fluid. These do not provide direct bladder exposure, so intravesical delivery is the appropriate route.