Editorial

Prevention of Adverse Effects of BCG Immunotherapy in Bladder Cancer

Authors: Michio Naoe, MD, Yosio Ogawa, MD

Abstract

Approximately 54,000 new cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed annually in the US, with a mortality rate of 12,000.1 Most patients are diagnosed with superficial tumors which can be completely treated with transurethral resection (TUR). Noninvasive bladder cancer is well known to have a high recurrence rate, however, even after adequate transurethral resection of the tumor. Therefore, adjuvant therapy after TUR is recommended. Although multiple chemotherapeutic agents have been employed for intravesical instillation, there has been a general collapse of this treatment with the introduction of BCG therapy. For patients with intermediate- to high-risk bladder cancer, adjuvant intravesical BCG therapy is preferred.

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