History of bacillus Calmette-Guerin and bladder cancer: an immunotherapy success story.
OBJECTIVE
We review how the bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine evolved to become standard therapy for superficial bladder cancer.


METHODS
We reviewed the historical literature describing the origin of the bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine as an anticancer agent and its singular success as the most effective immunotherapy used against a human neoplasm.


RESULTS
The association between tuberculosis and cancer, and the demonstration that bacillus Calmette-Guerin invoked immunological reactivity, inhibiting tumor growth in experimental animal models, led to clinical trials showing that intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin eradicated and prevented recurrence of superficial bladder tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
For the last 3 decades bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy has remained the most effective local therapy for superficial bladder cancer, an outstanding example of successful translational medicine in urology.
Herr
Harry W
HW
Department of Urology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021, USA. herrh@mskcc.org
Morales
Alvaro
A
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000266:history* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000266:history* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000266:history*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000266:history*
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D001500:BCG Vaccine