Someone I love is getting BCG treatments for bladder cancer.

Has anybody ever heard of this?

Any insight?

:)

It's a form of tuberculosis bacteria that stimulates an immune response within the walls of the bladder. It is unpleasant therapy (according to my father, who refused anything but pills after his therapy for the remainder of his life) adminstered through a Foley catheter. It causes bladder pain, painful urination, bladder spasms, etc that last a few days after each infusion.

I'm sorry that your loved one is going through this and I sincerely hope he/she is given a clean bill of health after treatment.

:hug:
aA


How you have intravesical therapy

http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=3151#bcg

First you need to have a catheter (tube) put into your bladder. The doctor puts the BCG or chemotherapy drug into your bladder through the catheter. Then the catheter may be taken out. You have to try not to pass any urine for the next two hours. This gives the treatment time to work.

Intravesical BCG
BCG is a vaccine for tuberculosis (TB). This does not mean you have TB or anything like it. BCG is just very good for helping to stop bladder cancers growing back in the bladder. In some cases, your doctor may suggest you have BCG for grade 2 early bladder cancer.

Doctors are not quite sure how BCG works for bladder cancer. It seems to encourage cells of the immune system to grow and become very active in the lining of the bladder. These cells probably kill off any cancer cells that might grow back or have been left behind in the bladder lining. A recent review of medical studies in this area has found that this treatment does help to stop bladder cancers coming back.


ou usually have this treatment weekly for 6 weeks. But doctors have recently been looking into giving more of this intravesical therapy than they have in the past. Your specialist may suggest you have more intravesical therapy 6 weeks after your last weekly treatment, and then 6 monthly for the next 2 to 3 years. This is still experimental at the moment. But doctors think it may reduce the risk of the cancer coming back even more than the 6 week course of treatment.

It's not a vaccine - it's an altered tuberculosis bacteria.

http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/HPI/DrugDatabase/DrugIndexPt/BCGforBladder.htm

BCG for Bladder


Other names: Bacille Calmette-Guerin, ImmuCyst® BCG Therapeutic, BCG-Cancer®

BCG is a drug that is used to treat bladder cancer by increasing your body's natural defenses. BCG comes from live bacteria (germs) similar to TB (tuberculosis). It is a cloudy liquid that is given through a small tube into your bladder.
Do not drink liquids for 2 hours before your treatment so your bladder will be empty.
Your doctor or nurse inserts a catheter (small tube) into your bladder and drains out any urine. The BCG is given into your bladder by attaching a syringe to the catheter. The amount given is 50 mL (less than 2 ounces). The catheter is then removed.
You will be asked to hold the BCG in your bladder as long as possible up to 2 hours after each treatment. At home, spend 1 of the 2 hours lying in bed.
Be sure to lie on your stomach for the first 15 minutes after treatment.

After lying on your stomach you may be advised to lay on your back for 15 minutes, then on your side for 15 minutes, and then on your other side for 15 minutes.

In other cases, after lying on you stomach for 15 minutes you may be advised to get up and move around. In either case this makes sure that the BCG completely covers the inside of your bladder.

Unless otherwise advised by your doctor you should drink lots of liquids for the next 24 hours. Try to drink at least twelve 250 ml (8 oz.) glasses per day and urinate frequently. This helps prevent bladder problems.

Sit down when you pass urine (for at least 6 hours after your treatment). BCG is potentially infectious so you should take precautions when flushing the toilet.
You can do this by either flushing the toilet twice, or by disinfecting your urine in the toilet using non-diluted bleach.

If you choose the bleach method, pour a cup of bleach into the toilet bowl every time you urinate for the first 6 hours following treatment. Leave bleach in the toilet bowl for 15 minutes before flushing.

Wash your hands well with soap and warm water. Wash clothes, bedding and toilet articles which have touched your urine in hot soapy water preferably with bleach.

Some other drugs such as prednisone (Deltasone®) or dexamethasone (Decadron®, Dexasone®, Hexadrol®) may interact with BCG. Tell your doctor if you are taking these or any other drugs as your dose may need to be changed. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start taking any new drugs.
BCG often causes a positive skin test for TB (tuberculosis). This does not mean that you have had TB.
The drinking of alcohol (in small amounts) will not affect the safety or usefulness of BCG.
The effect of BCG on sperm or on the baby during pregnancy is not known. It is best to use birth control while being treated with BCG. Tell your doctor right away if you or your partner becomes pregnant. Do not breast feed during treatment.
Tell doctors or dentists that you are being treated with BCG before you receive any treatment from them.

BCG is a vaccine. The BCG treatment is not a vaccine. It is administered Intravesically, through a catheter.

http://www.rxmed.com/b.main/b2.pharmaceutical/b2.1.monographs/CPS-%20Monographs/CPS-%20(General%20Monographs-%20B)/BCG%20Vaccine.html

Medline, PubMed and other sites confirmed that I had remembered properly - it's a form of tuberculosis. Quite unpleasant, but effective - my father didn't die from the bladder cancer, but from the bone cancer that had metastized to his spine.

passed away from colon cancer. I too read that anyone receiving treatments from Dentists etc, should inform them that they've had treatments so they can take appropriate precautions.
Cancer is nasty :( I hope and pray they find a cure soon.

:hug:
aA

I'm sorry about your mother; it's hard to lose a parent and cancer can make it even harder. Though I suspect there's no easy way to lose a parent.

They are able to diagnose cancers earlier and treat them more effectively now - most cancers have some hope these days. Not as good as a cure, but it's still some good news.

:hug:

Unfortunately, we know only what we've read about the treatment. Love, guidance and protection to your loved one, Floog.

:shrug: