Yes, BCG has been in short supply for over a year now. There has been a LOT of discussion of this on the Forum....Look over the posts in "Non-Invasive." Apparently our search function is not working today (some web site maintenance is underway) but by just scanning down the posts you should find lots of posts.
However, none have a solution.
BCG is a "live" biological entity and, according to the manufacturer, they have had quality control issues with its production.
As for what causes bladder cancer, we do know that smoking is a true cause. There are also some relatively obscure chemical exposures that have been shown to lead to cases of bladder cancer. However, as is true with most cancers, no one really knows. For a disease of "smoking men," there are sure a lot of women with it! There have been a lot of epidemiological studies, done by medical professionals and scientists, but no one can say for sure what causes it.
You mention that you have not seen an oncologist. That is true for most patients with non-invasive bladder cancer. Traditional chemotherapy, the preserve of oncologists, is not effective at this stage. Therefore, our treatments, usually BCG and/or watch-and-wait, are supervised by our urologists.
Sara Anne
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