BCG Maintenance Yes or No?

16 years 9 months ago #6046 by elmo
Replied by elmo on topic BCG Maintenance Yes or No?
Hello...I wanted to share my experience with BCG. the first few instalations were fine. After that the bladder became more and more irritated. Lately the symptoms have been worse. pretty bad contractions of the bladder even with detrol and ther is a lot of burning. I do at times get a high fever for a day or 2 and symptoms like a bad flu for a few days. I am on my second year of the treatment after being diagnosed in 9/2006 with a high grade tumor. My first doc did not believe in BCG so i left and went for a 2nd opinion and that is who I am currently seeing. I have treatment every 3 months and have just graduated to every 6 as long as the biopsies are going well. My Dad had bladder cancer and passed away from it. He was diagnosed after it went through the bladder wall. I would rather deal with all of these symptoms anyday then wait around and wait for a tumor.

I dont know if this helps or not. I have gotten a lot out of reading others feedback on this site since there is so little talk in the community about bladder cancer and BCG.

Good luck!!!!!

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16 years 9 months ago #5941 by PostRational
Replied by PostRational on topic BCG Maintenance Yes or No?
Additional Update.

I've just finished the first round of (6) BCG treatments and get a 2 month break now
before round 2 and a cytoscopic exam to check for (a lack of) additional tumors.

I've noticed no cumulative effects. Some mild fever the day of treatments and
3 occasions of finger joint pain that lasted a few hours at most. I had a minimal amount of bleeding after treatment #4 & 6. Otherwise, the worst part of it all has been the "set up" for delivering the BCG to the bladder.

When I get to round 2 and ongoing follow-ups I will see it as no more more stressfull than twice a year dental visits.

On an even more positive note: In the past week my overall health has bounced back to where it was a few years ago when I was cycling 100+ miles a week.

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16 years 9 months ago #5686 by wendy
Replied by wendy on topic BCG Maintenance Yes or No?
Dear Joe,

Yes, BCG is only for Ta and T1 tumors, you had a T2.

Wendy

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16 years 9 months ago #5673 by Mike
Replied by Mike on topic BCG Maintenance Yes or No?
I'm in Phila, Pa and except for this board the Oncologists here never mention BCG as a treatment for BC. Is this because I have an invassive tumor or is this treatment more of a foreign thing I dunno, just curious. Joe

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16 years 10 months ago #5421 by PostRational
Replied by PostRational on topic BCG Maintenance Yes or No?
Thank You for the replies. It looks like it's still a toss up.
I've rarely had bad reactions to any meds in the past and I'm not alergic
to anything so I will just trust my luck holds through the remaining
BCG treatments.

Thanks for the welcome and even though no one wants to be here,
I'm glad it's available.

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16 years 10 months ago #5408 by Rosemary
Replied by Rosemary on topic BCG Maintenance Yes or No?
I believe that the side effects of BCG are cumulative. That is what my body has told me after 12 treatments.

For illustration, the first 3 treatments were a piece of cake. The next 3 were a little worse, but bearable I think it was after number 9 that I developed the terrible arthritis and by number 11, I experienced cold sweats on voiding. At one point, I had 3 different infections going on in my body at the same time.

I'm not sorry for having taken treatment. I would recommend it to anyone with high grade bladder cancer. After all, it is really the only leg that we have to stand on.

Rosemary

Rosemary
Age - 55
T1 G3 - Tumor free 2 yrs 3 months
Dx January 2006

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