Can intravesical application of paracetamol benefit the chemotherapy treatment of bladder cancer

Abstract Bladder cancer is one of the most common urogenital tumors. Its prevalence is increasing worldwide, especially men. The cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme has been shown to increase in bladder cancer and has a direct relationship with tumor progression. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce the growth of the tumor by inhibiting the COX-2 enzyme. NSAIDs have other effects unrelated to COX that provide anticancer properties. Also, similar to NSAIDs, anticancer effects of paracetamol have been shown in many studies. Therefore we hypothesize intravesical paracetamol application will have beneficial effects in the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMBIC).