BCG Therapy (bcg + therapy)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Kinds of BCG Therapy

  • intravesical bcg therapy


  • Selected Abstracts


    Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-pulsed dendritic cells stimulate natural killer T cells and ,,T cells

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 6 2007
    Michio Naoe
    Background: Immunotherapy with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for bladder cancer is successful, although the precise mechanism is unclear. Natural killer (NK) cells are a candidate for BCG-activated killer cells, but the roles of other T lymphocytes, such as NKT cells and ,,T cells, are not fully understood. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a potent activator of both NKT cells and ,,T cells. However, it is known that the patient's prognosis is good if there are increased numbers of dendritic cells (DCs) in the urine after BCG therapy. Therefore, we investigated whether DCs are matured by BCG and whether BCG-pulsed DCs stimulate NKT cells and ,,T cells. Methods: Naïve Pan T cells were isolated form peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and DCs were obtained by culturing CD14+ monocytes with granulocyte,macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-4. The DCs were pulsed with BCG and their maturation was measured by fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis using the CD86 antibody. Naïve T lymphocytes were stimulated by coculture with BCG-pulsed DCs in vitro, followed by FACS analysis to estimate the ratio and activation of NKT cells and the ratio of ,,T cells. The 51Cr (chromium) release assay was used to estimate the cytotoxic activity of the stimulated T cells. Cytolytic proteins in the patient's PBMCs were measured during BCG therapy using semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Results: The DCs were matured by BCG stimulation and the number of NKT cells and ,,T cells increased after culturing with BCG-pulsed DCs. The BCG-pulsed DCs also activated the NKT cells and ,,T cells. Also, the lymphocytes that were cocultured with the BCG-pulsed DCs showed unspecific cytotoxic activity against a bladder cancer cell line. Conclusion: Sensitization of NKT cells and ,,T cells by BCG-pulsed DCs might be one of the mechanisms of BCG immunotherapy. [source]


    Intravesical instillation therapy with bacillus Calmette-Guérin for superficial bladder cancer: Study of the mechanism of bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunotherapy

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 2 2007
    Yasuyo Shintani
    Aim: In order to clarify the initial step of the mechanism by which bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) exhibits antitumor activity via the immune response induced in the bladder submucosa after intravesical BCG therapy for human bladder cancer, various cytokines secreted in the urine after BCG instillation were measured. Methods: After transurethral resection of bladder cancer, a 6-week course of BCG instillation was performed. At the first and sixth weeks' dosings, spontaneously excreted urine was collected before and 4, 8, and 24 h after BCG instillation. The urinary cytokines were determined by Sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using monoclonal antibodies against granulocyte,macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-,, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin (IL)-1,, IL-8, interferon (IFN)-,, and IL-12. Results: After the BCG therapy, various cytokines, such as GM-CSF, TNF-,, G-CSF, IL-1,, IL-8, IFN-,, and IL-12 were secreted, comprising the immune response cascade. The mean urinary excretions of GM-CSF and TNF-, 4 h after the sixth week's instillation were significantly higher than the pre-instillation levels. There were no significant increases in the urinary IFN-, or IL-12 levels between 4 and 24 h after the sixth week's instillation. The TNF-, level 4 h after the sixth week's instillation had a strong tendency towards the absence of recurrence, with a mean follow-up of 54.1 months. The Kaplan-Meier curve showed the 2, 5, and 10-year recurrence-free survival rates were 72.4%, 65.8%, and 56.4%, respectively. Conclusions: We suggested that the urinary levels of TNF-, might be essential in antitumor activity after BCG therapy and might play an important role in the prevention of bladder tumor recurrence. [source]


    Transient anuria requiring nephrostomy after intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin instillations for superficial bladder cancer

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 3 2006
    TOMOYUKI KANEKO
    Abstract, A 76-year-old man received intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) instillations for recurrent superficial bladder cancer. He had undergone right nephroureterectomy for right renal pelvic cancer 9 months previously. He presented with anuria and left hydronephrosis after the fourth instillation, with serum creatinine increasing up to 15.7 mg/dL. Percutaneous nephrostomy was indwelled, and antegrade pyelography showed left vesicoureteral obstruction. There was no sign of recurrent bladder cancer or ureteral cancer. He started spontaneous voiding on day 4 and the nephrostomy was removed on day 8. Most of the side-effects of intravesical BCG therapy are minor, and major adverse reactions are rare. Life-threatening ureteral obstruction would be a rare complication of BCG immunotherapy. Although BCG intravesical instillation after nephroureterectomy is a common practice, special care should be taken of renal function in patients with unilateral kidney during BCG therapy. [source]


    Sufficient prophylactic efficacy with minor adverse effects by intravesical instillation of low-dose bacillus Calmette-Guérin for superficial bladder cancer recurrence

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 4 2003
    AKIRA IRIE
    Abstract Background: Intravesical instillation of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the most efficient strategy for prophylaxis of superficial bladder cancer recurrence. Adverse effects of BCG are major obstacles, but the reduction of BCG dose could minimize these effects. The efficacy and adverse effects of half-dose (40 mg) BCG, Tokyo 172 strain, were prospectively evaluated. Methods: A total of 93 patients with superficial bladder cancer (pTa or pT1) were sequentially assigned to receive either 40 or 80 mg of BCG after transurethral resection. BCG was administered weekly for 6 weeks postoperatively. Eighty patients observed longer than 12 months after BCG therapy (41, 40 mg group; 39, 80 mg group) were analyzed. Results: BCG therapy course was completed in 71 patients. Tumor recurrence was recognized in 11 of 40 patients in the 40 mg group and in 5 of 31 patients in the 80 mg group. There was no significant difference in tumor recurrence rate between the two groups (P = 0.547). BCG therapy was withdrawn in 1 patient in the 40 mg group and in 8 patients in the 80 mg-group because of BCG-related adverse effects. The morbidity of BCG-related toxicity was significantly higher in the 80 mg group. Conclusion: Half-dose of BCG Tokyo 172 strain had a similar efficacy and its toxicity was signi­ficantly lower compared to the standard dose. Thus, half-dose of this strain might be suitable, at least for initial BCG therapy, for the prophylaxis of bladder cancer recurrence. Further study would be necessary to clarify the efficacy of low-dose instillation in high-risk patients. [source]


    Preoperative diagnosis of bilateral tuberculous epididymo-orchitis following intravesical Bacillus Calmette,Guerin therapy for superficial bladder carcinoma

    JOURNAL OF MEDICAL IMAGING AND RADIATION ONCOLOGY, Issue 2 2002
    Malai Muttarak
    SUMMARY We report a case of bilateral tuberculous epididymo-orchitis following intravesical Bacillus Calmette,Guerin (BCG) therapy for superficial bladder carcinoma in which the diagnosis was made by ultrasonography prior to surgery. The US findings include heterogeneous enlargement of the epididymis and testis, associated with scrotal-skin thickening and scrotal sinus track. Patients with bladder carcinoma treated with intravesical BCG therapy, the presence of scrotal swelling with scrotal-skin thickening and epididymal involvement suggests tuberculous epididymo-orchitis rather than testicular tumour. It is important to be aware of this rare complication and to be familiar with the ultrasonographic features so that appropriate treatment can be given. [source]


    Recurrence and progression in stage T1G3 bladder tumour with intravesical bacille Calmette-Guérin (Danish 1331 strain)

    BJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 6 2002
    J.N. Kulkarni
    Objective ,To report recurrence and progression rates in patients with T1G3 superficial bladder carcinoma treated with intravesical bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG, Danish 1331 strain) after complete transurethral resection. Patients and methods ,Data from the records of 111 patients with T1G3 bladder carcinoma treated between January 1991 and December 1999 were analysed for recurrence, progression, salvage therapy and survival. Results ,Of the 111 patients with T1G3 bladder tumours, 69 had intravesical BCG therapy, 20 radical cystectomy and 22 only transurethral resection (TUR). Of the 69 patients receiving BCG therapy 37 (54%) had no recurrence, and 24 (35%) had a recurrence that was not muscle-invasive (Ta/T1) and were treated with TUR only. The remaining eight (12%) progressed to muscle invasion and had salvage cystectomy. During the follow-up six patients died, four from disease and three from other causes, while the remaining 63 are alive and well. Of the other 42 patients, 15 are alive after radical cystectomy and 18 after TUR. Conclusion ,This series further confirms the benefits of intravesical BCG (Danish 1331) in an adjuvant setting; furthermore, this treatment facilitates bladder preservation by reducing recurrences and delaying the progression in many patients. [source]


    A systematic review of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin plus transurethral resection vs transurethral resection alone in Ta and T1 bladder cancer

    BJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2001
    M.D. Shelley
    Objective,To assess, in a systematic review, the effectiveness of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in preventing tumour recurrence in patients with medium/high risk Ta and T1 bladder cancer. Patients and methods,An electronic database search of Medline, Embase, DARE, the Cochrane Library, Cancerlit, Healthstar and BIDS was undertaken, plus hand searching of the Proceedings of ASCO, for randomized controlled trials, in any language, comparing transurethral resection (TUR) alone with TUR followed by intravesical BCG in patients with Ta and T1 bladder cancer. Results,The search identified 26 publications comparing TUR with TUR + BCG. Six trials were considered acceptable, representing 585 eligible patients, 281 in the TUR-alone group and 304 in the TUR + BCG group. The major clinical outcome chosen was tumour recurrence. The weighted mean log hazard ratio for the first recurrence, taken across all six trials, was ,0.83 (95% confidence interval ,0.57 to ,1.08, P < 0.001), which is equivalent to a 56% reduction in the hazard, attributable to BCG. The Peto odds ratio for patients recurring at 12 months was 0.3 (95% confidence interval of 0.21,0.43, P < 0.001), significantly favouring BCG therapy. Manageable toxicities associated with intravesical BCG were cystitis (67%), haematuria (23%), fever (25%) and urinary frequency (71%). No BCG-induced deaths were reported. Conclusion,TUR with intravesical BCG provides a significantly better prophylaxis of tumour recurrence in Ta and T1 bladder cancer than TUR alone. Randomized trials are still needed to address the issues of BCG strain, dose and schedule, and to better quantify the effect on progression to invasive disease. [source]


    Cost-effectiveness analysis of immediate radical cystectomy versus intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy for high-risk, high-grade (T1G3) bladder cancer,

    CANCER, Issue 23 2009
    Girish S. Kulkarni MD
    Abstract BACKGROUND: Although both radical cystectomy and intravesical immunotherapy are initial treatment options for high-risk, T1, grade 3 (T1G3) bladder cancer, controversy regarding the optimal strategy persists. Because bladder cancer is the most expensive malignancy to treat per patient, decisions regarding the optimal treatment strategy should consider costs. METHODS: A Markov Monte-Carlo cost-effectiveness model was created to simulate the outcomes of a cohort of patients with incident, high-risk, T1G3 bladder cancer. Treatment options included immediate cystectomy and conservative therapy with intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG). The base case was a man aged 60 years. Parameter uncertainty was assessed with probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Scenario analyses were used to explore the 2 strategies among patients stratified by age and comorbidity. RESULTS: The quality-adjusted survival with immediate cystectomy and BCG therapy was 9.46 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and 9.39 QALYs, respectively. The corresponding mean per-patient discounted lifetime costs (in 2005 Canadian dollars) were $37,600 and $42,400, respectively. At a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000 per QALY, the probability that immediate cystectomy was cost-effective was 67%. Immediate cystectomy was the dominant (more effective and less expensive) therapy for patients aged <60 years, whereas BCG therapy was dominant for patients aged >75 years. With increasing comorbidity, BCG therapy was dominant at lower age thresholds. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with BCG therapy, immediate radical cystectomy for average patients with high-risk, T1G3 bladder cancer yielded better health outcomes and lower costs. Tailoring therapy based on patient age and comorbidity may increase survival while yielding significant cost-savings for the healthcare system. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society. [source]