Clinical outcome of bacillus Calmette-Guérin perfusion therapy for carcinoma in situ of the upper urinary tract.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of intrarenal bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) instillation for the treatment of carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the upper urinary tract.


METHODS
Sixteen patients who were diagnosed as having CIS of the upper urinary tract were treated with intrarenal BCG instillation. BCG (80 mg) in normal saline was administered once weekly, 6 times in total as one course through a percutaneous nephrostomy tube in 5 patients, and a retrograde ureteric catheterization using a Single-J or Double-J stent in 2 and 9 patients, respectively.


RESULTS
During the median follow-up period of 30 months (range: 9-90 months), no patients died, and 13 patients remained cytologically negative in urine collected from the upper urinary tract after BCG treatment was completed. However, one of these 13 patients had CIS in the bladder and prostatic urethra 34 months after the BCG therapy and had to undergo radical cystectomy. The remaining 3 patients experienced recurrence in the upper urinary tract 4, 8, and 11 months after treatment, despite a favorable response to the initial BCG instillation. Of these 3 patients, one patient received an additional course of BCG therapy, while the remaining 2 underwent nephroureterectomy. Bladder irritability or a fever higher than 38 degrees C was observed in 12 or 9 patients, respectively; however, such side-effects were not clinically significant, and no patient received antitubercular treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Intrarenal instillation of BCG appears to be effective and safe for treatment of CIS of the upper urinary tract; however, further experience and longer follow-up studies of this treatment are required.
Miyake
Hideaki
H
Department of Urology, Hyogo Medical Center for Adults, Akashi, Japan. hideakimiyake@hotmail.com
Eto
Hiroshi
H
Hara
Shoji
S
Okada
Hiroshi
H
Kamidono
Sadao
S
Hara
Isao
I
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000283:Administration, Intravesical; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014523:Urethral Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D001500:BCG Vaccine