[Results of BCG in the treatment of pTa and pT1 bladder tumors. Evaluation of a long protocol using 75 mg of Pasteur strain BCG].

OBJECTIVES

Evaluation of a protocol of intravesical BCG therapy using 75 mg of Pasteur strain BCG with 2 years of maintenance treatment, and a follow-up of up to 60 months.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

189 patients treated by transurethral resection (TUR) for a pTa (N = 80) or pT1 (N = 109) bladder tumour were included in the study. The local and general safety was excellent. We retrospectively compared this series to a group of patients treated by TUR alone (N = 42) another group treated with TUR and Mitomycin C (MMC) (N = 81). The 3 groups were statistically comparable.

RESULTS

At 48 months, 62% of patients treated with BCG were recurrence-free, versus only 18% for patients treated with TUR alone and 38% for patients treated with TUR and MMC (p = 0.001). At 42 months, 11% of pT1 tumours treated with BCG had progressed to invasive carcinoma, and this progression occurred during the first 18 months in every case. In comparison, this progression was observed in 25% of pT1 tumours treated by TUR alone and 21% of tumours treated with TUR and MMC.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study confirms the efficacy of our BCG protocol ro reduce the potential for recurrence and progression of superficial bladder tumours, despite reduction of the dose to 75 mg. It also suggests the superiority of BCG compared to MMC in terms of recurrence and progression.