The efficacy of intravesical BCG in the treatment of patients with high risk superficial bladder cancer.

Sixty-two patients with superficial bladder cancer stage T1 with or without dysplasia or carcinoma in situ and 34 patients with stage TA associated with dysplasia or carcinoma in situ were treated by TUR and TUR + BCG, respectively, and were followed up for an average of 46 months (6-192) and 32 months (6-72), respectively, after therapy. The recurrence rate (61%), progression (37%) and tumour death (19%) were unfavourably high in the group of patients treated by TUR only. On the contrary, the effect of intravesical BCG therapy was excellent. Recurrence rate was as low as 20.5%, and progression and tumour death were not detected in any patient. Intravesical BCG seems to be the best choice for treatment of high risk superficial bladder cancer. The authors recommend their effective modified treatment schedules.