BCG TREATMENT FOR BLADDER CANCER

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07/08/23

The effectiveness of BCG treatment for bladder cancer is highly impressive, especially in the initial stages and it also prevents recurrence after surgery. The side effects of using this treatment are minimal and short term. Continue reading to know more about this.
Treatment Procedure
Sold under the trade name TICE BCG, it is the most preferred therapeutic intervention for management of cancer symptoms. Advocating specific dosage of BCG is found to be effective in treating patients who are diagnosed with stage 0 and stage 1 bladder cancer.
Also, it is effectual to prevent recurrent growth of such cells in the bladder. Thus, some physicians recommend using this as a postoperative treatment after removing the tumors by transurethral resection operation.
The BCG is derived from an attenuated form of live bovine tuberculosis bacteria (scientific name Mycobacterium tuberculosis), which has been cultured in controlled conditions for several years. After culturing them in the laboratory for a stipulated time, the organisms are weakened to a certain extent.
When introduced in the body, they do not cause tuberculosis, rather BCG elicits the body's immune system to restore the natural defense mechanism of the body.
While following this treatment, the doctor prescribes preparatory steps to every patient. In order to get optimal effectiveness, BCG should be given in an empty bladder. So, one should not drink anything for 4 hours before the treatment. In the session, a urinary catheter is used to deliver BCG directly into the bladder.
Another consideration is to keep the medication in direct contact with the bladder walls for at least 2 hours. Hence, urination is not allowed for two hours after the treatment to get better results.
After administering BCG, the patient should reduce the intake of fluids for the next few hours. He/she will be asked to lie down and change their position after every 15-20 minutes. This helps in washing the bladder walls with the medicinal solution. For the first 6 weeks, BCG is administered once per week.
Following this, the treatment is done at an interval of 3-6 months for the next 2 years. During this duration, the patient is closely monitored by the doctor. Overall, bladder cancer survival rates have increased with the intervention of this treatment.
Article Credit: http://www.buzzle.com/articles..../bcg-treatment-for-b
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