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DownloadIntravesical Immunotherapy is when a substance is placed into the bladder to stimulate an immune response.
Intravesical Immunotherapy is used as a treatment for nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. This is cancer which is confined to the inner surface layer of the bladder.
Immunotherapy stimulates your body’s immune system to destroy cancer cells within the bladder and reduces the risk of the tumour re-growing.
Intravesical Immnuotherapy uses a live vaccine called Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), which is also used to inoculate against Tuberculosis; when this is placed in the bladder it creates a local inflammatory reaction that kills cancer cells.
Treatment involves placing a small amount of fluid, containing a live vaccine, into your bladder through a fine-bore catheter, which is then removed. Treatments are normally given once a week for a number of consecutive weeks, normally six weeks.
Because a live vaccine is used, certain precautions need to be used to reduce the risk to yourself and family; please take time to read this information.
This will depend on how aggressive (grade) and how deep (stage) the bladder cancer is.
Approximately seven out of ten people with aggressive (grade 3), non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and / or carcinoma in situ will respond to treatment.
Sometimes, even for those people who have had successful BCG treatment, the bladder cancer may return and require further removal and surgery.
The treatment cannot be given immediately after your operation, so we will arrange an appointment for you to discuss the results of any tissue analysis from the operation and make a plan for any further treatment, that may be necessary.
An appointment will be sent to you for the first treatment of BCG. You will receive the treatment as an outpatient at the Princess Royal Hospital by a trained nurse / practitioner in bladder instillations.
Please make sure you know when your next treatment or appointment will be.
Approximately 9 out of 10 people having BCG treatment will develop some side effects; these usually begin within three – four hours after treatment and may last one-three days. Most commonly, these include:
However, if they continue to last more than three days, then contact your G.P.
Again, if these symptoms last more than two-three days then contact your G.P.
It is important that you see a doctor or attend the Accident & Emergency department if you develop any of these symptoms:
You must see a doctor immediately if you develop any of these symptoms:
These symptoms are rare and it is important that you seek advice.
If you do see a doctor, please let them know that you are receiving BCG treatment for bladder cancer.
At the end of treatment, arrangements will be made for you to have a further cystoscopy. This is normally six, eight weeks following completion of treatment. Please contact the hospital if you do not hear about this appointment.
It is important that we examine the bladder lining to assess how the treatment has worked. Part of this assessment may involve taking biopsies from the bladder lining.
Sometimes, we ask for urine specimens to see if there are cancer cells present in the urine.
Further BCG treatment may be necessary, this is called a maintenance course. If you are due to have maintenance BCG and have not received a date for treatment, please contact us.
The table below illustrates the BCG programme we use at Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, starting with 6 treatments and then giving a further 2 courses of treatments at regular intervals afterwards.
In between these times, regular cystoscopies would also be arranged.
Number of treatments | |
Initial Course | 6 |
3 months later | 3 |
6 months later | 3 |
Initial BCG Course:
Date | Time | Comments | |
1 | |||
2 | |||
3 | |||
4 | |||
5 | |||
6 |
Next follow up: ____________________________________________________________________
Maintenance BCG Programme:
3 months
Date | Time | Comments | |
1 | |||
2 | |||
3 |
Next follow up:
Cystocopy: ____________________________ Date: _______________________________________
6 months
Date | Time | Comments | |
1 | |||
2 | |||
3 |
Next follow up:
Cystocopy: ____________________________ Date: _______________________________________
The Urology Nursing Team 01444 441881 Extension 5457.
Urology outpatient department 1st floor 01444 441881 Extension 7752.
Main outpatient department 01444 441881 Extension 8302.
Urology Consultants:
Mr Nawrocki’s secretary 01444 441881 Extension 5962.
Mr Coker’s secretary 01444 441881 Extension 8043.
Mr Symes’ secretary 01444 441881 Extension 7809.
Mr Alanbuki’s secretary 01444 441881 Extension 7810.
Mr Larner’s secretary 01444 441881 Extension 7808.
Mr Zakikhani 01444 441881 Extension 7809.
This information is intended for patients receiving care in Brighton & Hove or Haywards Heath.
The information here is for guidance purposes only and is in no way intended to replace professional clinical advice by a qualified practitioner.
Review Date: October 2022