Bacillus Calmette Guerin or BCG is a vaccine generally prescribed for tuberculosis. Apart from tuberculosis, this vaccine is also known to cure bladder cancer. However, it is not clearly known how this vaccine works to cure the cancer. Some say that the way it stimulates the immune system to act against tuberculosis, the same way it stimulates the immune system inside the bladder to act against the tumor cells. While others say that the inflammation caused by injecting BCG is toxic for the cancer cells, hence they are killed.

Procedure of BCG Cancer Treatment

BCG vaccine is generally given through a urinary catheter which is inserted inside the bladder for around 2 hours during the treatment. Sometimes, the cancer cells are killed through a surgical procedure known as transurethral reduction surgery, if the patient is not in any of the early stages of the bladder cancer. As this vaccine is given through the catheter, the patient has to urinate to vacant the bladder before the surgery starts. The patient is also advised to not to urinate for at least two to three hours after the surgery is over. The duration of overall course of treatment may vary from 1 ½ months to a year, depending on the stage in which the cancer cells are and the way the patient’s body responds to the treatment.

Side Effects of BCG Cancer Treatment

Though this is a surgical procedure, there are a few side effects of BCG chemotherapy treatment for cancer. The patient might experience a burning sensation or pain while passing the urine and / or frequent urination or the inability to urinate for some time after the treatment. Some patients may also feel feverish and experience vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, nausea and stomach pain after surgery. Pain in the joints, tenderness, body ache, headache and vision changes are also experienced by some of the patients during or after the course of treatment for bladder cancer. Some of the side effects of BCG treatment are similar to those experienced by chemotherapy for example, CML chemotherapy, CAP chemotherapy or chemotherapy with any other drug.

Precautions for BCG Cancer Treatment

When BCG is prescribed to patients, they have to take care of a few things, like they should not to have water, juices, coffee, caffeine products, etc around 3 - 4 hours before the treatment and about 2 hours after the treatment and empty the bladder before the surgery to avoid complications during or after the treatment. Also, the patients have to wash their genital area properly to avoid any type of skin irritation or infection, whenever they urinate after the procedure. After the surgery, they are made to drink a lot of water and other fluids, so that the bladder is washed properly.

BCG vaccine has not only proven to be an effective way of treatment against bladder cancer, but has also proven to be successful to avert the re-growth of cancer cells in the patients’ body. It is mostly not prescribed for patients with weak immune system, HIV, AIDS and to reduce the recurrence of bladder cancer. It is not prescribed for patients who are undergoing any type of radiation treatment for cancer or are under any other cancer medication.