Treatment of high-risk superficial bladder cancer with maintenance bacille Calmette-Guérin therapy: preliminary results.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate, in a prospective study, the effects and results of maintenance therapy with bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in treating patients with high-risk superficial bladder cancer.


METHODS
In all, 155 patients were enrolled in a randomized study of transurethral resection alone (53) or combined with intravesical BCG (102) as a treatment for superficial bladder cancer. BCG was administered for six consecutive weeks followed by three weekly instillations in months 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 after resection. Recurrence, progression, prognostic factors and side-effects were assessed and analysed.


RESULTS
After a median (range) follow-up of 23 (6-42) months, 83 of the 102 patients treated with BCG (81%) were disease-free, compared with 24 of the 53 treated with resection alone (45%). There was also a significant difference in tumour progression and time to progression between the trial arms. The disease progressed in eight patients (8%) treated with BCG and in 12 (23%) of those treated by resection alone. Independent risk factors for progression were DNA ploidy status and stage. Only the completion of treatment was predictive of outcome (risk of recurrence) for patients treated with BCG.


CONCLUSIONS
Maintenance BCG therapy was better than resection alone in reducing the incidence of recurrence and progression in patients with high-risk superficial bladder cancer.
Kolodziej
A
A
Department of Urology, University School of Medicine, Wroclaw, Poland. urologiawroclaw@poctza.onet.pl
Dembowski
J
J
Zdrojowy
R
R
Wozniak
P
P
Lorenz
J
J
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D001500:BCG Vaccine