Can anyone tell me if there is an authoritative site from which I can print out a schedule of BCG treatments to show my urologist?
Would the schedule be the same for BCG with Interferon (IFN)?
If there are differences in provider opinion as to maintenance schedules, I'd like to take a more intensive approach as I have had little to no side effects. But, I need to make the case to my urologist.
I have high grade papillary urothelial carcinoma/CIS. I failed BCG-alone treatments that ran two years, with either 6-instillation induction treatments or 3-instillation maintenance treatments every 6 mos. Last December, I received a 6-instillation induction series of BCG with Interferon and then had a 3-instillation maintenance round in March. My January cystoscopy/biopsy was negative. I'm going in for a cystoscopy/biopsy tomorrow.
I've found no schedule information on BCG/IFN. For BCG alone, I see that Sara Anne says the maintenance treatment schedule is every 3 mos for 2 yrs. The only other schedule specification I was able to find says: "3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months from initiation of induction therapy."(1) My urologist says 3, 9, 15, 21, 27 mos.
Thank you in advance to Sara Anne for her statement which I will present as well.
Thanks to everyone as well.
(1)
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10737480, Journal of Urology, April 2000, and an article that references it as the gold standard in the International Brazilian Journal of Urology, Nov-Dec 2009, at
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4273309/#R30