Should I drink water after BCG treatment?
Drink two and a half to three litres (five to six pints) of fluids for the first 24 hours after the treatment to flush any remaining drug out of the bladder. This will also help prevent bladder irritability.
How long are you contagious after BCG treatment?
Reproductive Concerns. Men having this treatment can pass on BCG during sex. To protect your partner from coming into contact with BCG, you should not have sex for 48 hours after each treatment. Use a condom if you have sex at other times during the treatment course and for six weeks after treatment has ended.
How do you feel after BCG treatment?
BCG immunotherapy can cause a number of side effects. It is common for people to experience flu-like symptoms, such as chills, fever, and fatigue, for 2–3 days following the treatment. Other common side effects include: a burning sensation or discomfort in the bladder.
What happens at your first BCG treatment?
Treatment with BCG can cause a wide range of symptoms. It's common to have flu-like symptoms, such as fever, achiness, chills, and fatigue. These can last for 2 to 3 days after treatment. It also commonly causes a burning feeling in the bladder, the need to urinate often, and even blood in the urine.
How painful are BCG treatments?
It is generally not considered a painful procedure, though some may find it uncomfortable. Any urine remaining in the bladder will be drained and then a BCG solution will be inserted into the bladder next to the tumor and should remain for two hours.
Does BCG make your hair fall out?
Hair loss does not occur with BCG.
Do BCG side effects get worse with each treatment?
The irritative reactions usually are seen following the third instillation and tend to increase in severity after each administration. There is no evidence that dose reduction or antituberculous drug therapy can prevent or lessen the irritative symptoms of TheraCys.
What is the success rate of BCG treatment?
This method of treatment is considered a form of immunotherapy, which is an emerging form of cancer treatment. The success rate for BCG treatment for bladder cancer is about 90%, which is considered the best life-saving rate by any treatment.
How long does a BCG treatment take?
The initial BCG cancer treatment occurs weekly for six weeks. This is called induction therapy. If the treatment is working, your doctor may prescribe BCG maintenance therapy. Maintenance therapy is given once a week for three weeks at the three-, six- and 12-month marks.
How do you clean a toilet after BCG?
For the first six hours after each treatment, pour 250 ml (1 cup) of bleach into the toilet after every void. Let the bleach sit in the toilet for 15 minutes to neutralize the BCG before flushing. Your washroom should be well ventilated since the mixture of urine and bleach can sometimes give off strong fumes.
Is diarrhea a side effect of BCG treatment?
Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, or diarrhea may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly. Remember that this medication has been prescribed because your doctor has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects.
How long after a BCG do you get a cystoscopy?
Abstract. The standard of practice set by the SWOG investigation of BCG therapy for superficial bladder cancer has been to evaluate response at 3 months with cystoscopy and bladder biopsy.
History of BCG
Uses
- BCG is recommended following tumor removal for some people with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). In this kind of bladder cancer, the muscular bladder wall has not yet been affected. BCG is recommended for people with high-grade tumors (which look more abnormal under a microscope). It is recommended for some lower-grade types of NMIBC tumor as well.1…
Before Getting BCG
- Before you start BCG, you’ll need to talk with your healthcare provider to make sure BCG is the best treatment for your NMIBC. You might have other options, like not doing BCG or picking a type of chemotherapy to be inserted into the bladder instead.4 BCG therapy usually follows a procedure called transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). T...
Precautions and Contraindications
- BCG should not be used in people who are immunocompromised, such as from medical conditions like AIDS or from genetic medical conditions. People taking medications that can suppress their immune system (like corticosteroids or cancer therapies) should also not take BCG.6 People who are pregnant should not take BCG therapy if possible. Pregnancy should b…
How BCG Therapy Is Done
- BCG as an immunotherapy for cancer is given through a catheter into the bladder, never intravenously or as an injection. This is usually done in an outpatient setting. The professionals there will assemble the BCG so that it can be safely administered. Your clinician will give you specific instructions about how you need to prepare ahead of time. You may need to limit your fl…
Side Effects
- It’s not uncommon for people to experience temporary symptoms after BCG therapy. Some of these might include 1. Burning with urination 2. Increased urinary frequency 3. Small amounts of blood in the urine 4. Fever and chills 5. Fatigue8 Such symptoms usually only last a day or two. Severe complications from BCG are uncommon, but they do sometimes occur. Because BCG do…