What is bcg bladder cancer treatment

Some of the factors that determine your options are:. Cancer treatment usually involves more than one type of therapy, which can be given at the same time or one at a time. That makes it difficult to compare one treatment to another. BCG treatment may result in fewer side effects than systemic chemotherapy, which affects your entire body. Then it becomes necessary to remove part or all of the bladder. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy may also be recommended. Each type of treatment has potential benefits and side effects to consider.

Your doctor will help you work through your options and decide on the best treatment for you. BCG has been used to treat noninvasive bladder cancer for a long time. Based on records from to , the five-year relative survival rates were Learn what to expect after a stage 3 bladder cancer diagnose, including treatment options, outlook, and complications. Learn about papillary urothelial carcinoma, including treatment options, prognosis, and life expectancy.

Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Who can have this treatment? Is there any preparation involved? What happens during treatment? What can I expect following treatment? They will tell you about possible risks and the side effects of treatment on your quality of life.

Your options for treatment will depend on how much your cancer has grown. Your urologist will stage and grade your cancer and assess the best way to manage your care considering your risk. Treatment also depends on your general health and age.

Visit our condition article to learn more about treatment options for bladder cancer. Intravesical "within the bladder" therapy, is when a treatment drug is put directly into your bladder.

The drug is put into the bladder with the help of a catheter a thin tube that is placed through the urethra. You will hold the drug in your bladder for one to two hours and then pass it out. Intravesical chemotherapy is usually given immediately after surgery. Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts the ability of your immune system to fight the cancer. BCG also has been used as a tuberculosis vaccine.

Your BCG therapy will probably last about six weeks for the first course. It is usually done in your doctor's office, not in the hospital or operating room. You may get BCG treatment more than once. The BCG drug is inserted into the bladder through a catheter. This helps to flush the drug out of your bladder. These effects should get better in 48 to 72 hours.

Tell your doctor straight away if they do not get better after this time. Taking painkillers can help. If you have any of these or feel generally unwell, tell your doctor straight away. It could be a sign of a more serious infection due to BCG that needs treatment straight away. If this happens, you will be treated with antibiotic drugs used to treat tuberculosis TB.

Men should use a condom during sex for the first week after each BCG treatment. If you are a woman having the treatment, your partner should use a condom during this time. This protects your partner from any BCG that may be present in semen or vaginal fluid. Your doctor or specialist nurse can give you more information about this. Doctors do not yet know how BCG may affect an unborn baby.

They will recommend you do not become pregnant or make someone pregnant while having it. You should use effective contraception during treatment. BCG treatment for bladder cancer.

It is used to treat some non-muscle-invasive bladder cancers. On this page. What is BCG treatment? When is BCG treatment used? Treatment times vary. Your doctor will explain what is best for you. This can: make it easier for you to keep the BCG in your bladder for the required time stops you needing to pass urine pee too early increase the concentration of the BCG drug in your bladder. During treatment Once the drug is in your bladder, the nurse usually takes the catheter out.

After treatment It is important to remember that BCG is a live vaccine and other people should not be exposed to it. You will be asked to: sit down to pass urine — this avoids splashing urine on the toilet seat wash the skin in and around your genital area with soap and water after you pass urine — this cleans any drops of BCG that may have splashed on to your skin put undiluted bleach into the toilet bowl after you have passed urine and leave it for 15 minutes before flushing wash your hands carefully after passing urine with soap and water.