Abstract

Bladder tumors are the second most common malignancy of genilourinary system and transitional cell carcino- mas comprise 90 “4 ol these tumors. Prophylactic therapy is still an issue of consideration in (he treatment of these tumors because of high progression and recurrence rate observed following transurethral tumor resection (TUR) per- formed. Recenily, many intracaviler agents have been administered for the purpose of prophylaxis, intracaviter Ba- cillus Calmette Gucrin (BCG) being the most widely used one.

Ninethy-cighi patients with primary bladder tumor had received totally 6 cures of intravesical BCG therapy weekly alter following TUR operation betwcen the years 1989 and 1997. Kighiy-three out of 98 patienis were follo- wed up for at Icast 1 year, 77 of those were male, 6 were female and their mcan age was 57,9 years. Fifty-eigth out ol 83 patients (70 96) had single and 25 (30 4) had multiple tumors. In 31 patients (37 94), tumor was in Ta and in 52 (63 &) in TI stage. Eighteen patienis were in grade | (22 90), 56 in grade TI (67 94) and 9 in grade TU (11 96). Full remission Was achieved in 62 patienis (75 6) whereas recurrence had occured in 21 patients (25 90), 3 of which had also progression in T stage.

We found intracaviter BCG therapy effective in the treatment of the superficial bladder tumors when taken into consideration its effect on the reduction of recurrence and progression rate and absence of permanent side effects.