Open AccessRe: Side Effects of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) in the Treatment of Intermediate- and High-Risk Ta, T1 Papillary Carcinoma ...
Author(s) -
Maurizio Brausi,
Jorg R. Oddens,
Richard Sylvester
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of urological surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2148-9580
DOI - 10.4274/jus.2015.01.004
Subject(s) - medicine , papillary carcinoma , carcinoma , bacillus (shape) , oncology , microbiology and biotechnology , thyroid , thyroid carcinoma , biology
Since the first report on the use of intravesical BCG in 1976 the optimal dose and duration of treatment is controversial. The main concern on defining the optimal\udBCG dose is to have fewer side effects while keeping anti-tumor efficacy. Efficacy of 1/3 dose (1/3D) vs. full dose (FD) BCGwas previouslyreportedto be equalin\udthe EORTC trial 30962 (1). The present study is addressing intravesical BCG side effects in this EORTC trial 30962. Aim of the present randomized prospective\udstudy was to determine whether reducing the dose or treatment duration was associated with fewer side effects. Four arms of the study consisted of 1/3D-1\udyear (n=341), FD-1 year (n=339), 1/3D-3 year (n=337) and FD- 3 year (n=338). Regarding intravesical BCG toxicity, neither reducing the dose (1/3D vs. FD) nor\udthe treatment duration (1 year vs. 3 years) wassignificantly different from each other. NMIBC management with 1/3D of BCG was one of the recommendations\udbecause of current BCG supplementlimitations (2,3). It may be a reseanble option in this conjuncture but one should remember both 1/3D and FD have similar\udside effects and there is no advantage of using low dose BCG