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Dear Vicky,
BCG or Bacillus of Calmette and Guerin, is an attenuated, live culture preparation of Mycobacterium bovis. It is approved for intravesical or
percutaneousLithotripsy
Liver biopsy
Lung needle biopsy
Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram
Pericardiocentesis use. It is commonly used for bladder cancer patients and has the best results of all the intravesical chemotherapeutics. The freeze-dried BCG prep is delivered to the bladder by instilation through a
foleyUrinary catheters catheterBiopsy catheter
Bladder catheterization, female
Bladder catheterization, male
Cardiac catheterization
External incontinence devices
Left heart catheterization
Left heart ventricular angiography
Urinary catheters
Urine culture - catheterized specimen.
The overall response in patients is about 75% and is generally tolerated. You ask specifically about side effects. I consulted the PDR for the entire list. In order of decreasing frequency:
dysuriaUrination - painful(burning with urination), urinary frequency,
hematuriaRbc - urine
Urine - bloody (blood in
urineCalcium - urine
Calcium urine test
Chloride - urine
Cortisol - urine
Electrolytes - urine
Glucose test - urine
Hcg in urine
Ketones - urine
Kidney - blood and urine flow
Lh urine test (home test)
Ph urine test), cystitis(bladder infection), urgency, nocturia, cramps/pain, urinary incontinence, urinary debris, genital inflammation, UTI, urethritis, and several other all less than 1% of patients.
Other systemic symptoms include; flu-like symptoms, fever, malaise/fatigue, shaking chills and nausea vomiting.
I have listed many possible side effects and I don’t mean to scare you, the first three in each list I would take seriously, the others are included for completeness.
GOOD LUCK!
This information is provided for general medical educational purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition. More individualized care is available at the Henry Ford Hospital and its satellites (1 800 653-6568).
Sincerely,
HFHS M.D.-AK
*keyword: Bladder Cancer,BCG
