Bladder cancer treatment.

[gwyn53]

My husband had a tumour removed in November 2015

He is 64 and now. Awaiting BCG TREATMENT

Anyone have any ideas how this affects him.

Drs are not saying much.

Any advice would help.

Please?

[Hidden]

Firstly hope all goes well with your husband,about 6 years ago after a tumour was removed my husband had thi treatment and it was successful,he now only needs a check up cystoscope yearly.The BCG immunotherapy treatment is not too unpleasant when it is instilled in the bladder and each time my husband was off colour- a bit nauseous,achy and very tired for a couple of days,then ok. Best wishes to you both x

[gwyn53 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for this reply.

He has been quite worried.

This will put him at ease I'm sure.

He is going to keep working as well!.

But it seems such a long way to do this.

Can you tell me how long it all took?

We have been told 1per week for six weeks then time out then another six sessions then three months out then another treatment., it just seems to go on! Be glad to hear your thoughts.

So glad that you replied though.☺

[Hidden in reply to gwyn53]

My husband used to have treatment on a Friday afternoon,for 3 weeks,then a 3 month gap,this went on for about 2 years,but if your husband is having it 6 weeks at a time maybe the treatment will only last half the time it did for my husband,it did seem to drag on but it was definitely worth it as I hope it will be for your husband,thinking of both of you,take care x

[denni2016 in reply to gwyn53]

hi yes you are right about treatment i had it 3 times awk first 6 months the again 3 months .wen you had it you need to bee near toilet wen you need a wee you got seconds to get thear lol i had treatment 18 months still go for check ups 9 months .the weeing first 2\3 days every 30 mins or so good luck

[gwyn53]

Wonderful.☺

[Andrew-at-FBC]

Hi, we have advice and tips on dealing with BCG treatment on our website. fightbladdercancer.co.uk

[Kennoch]

I had BCG treatment once per week for 6 weeks,you have to try and keep it in your bladder for an hour if possible,turning each 15 minutes. Not easy as there is burning sensation. Best of luck.

[JyrkiKasvi]

People react to BCG differently. When I had them it felt like a very acute urethritis lasting for a couple of days, which is quite average. Unfortunately my bladder became sensitized to BCG and the irritation became worse over years as my cancer relapsed and I needed more BCG treatments.

In a worst case (and _very_ rare) scenario the tuberculosis used in BCG is still potent. I was the second case my doctor had seen. As a result I had to eat four kinds of very strong antibiotics to get the tuberculosis out of my body.

[JyrkiKasvi]

Oh, I forgot to mention, if the irritation lasts longer than for a couple of days, your husband may have got a real urethritis when the catheter was put in as it sometimes may carry skin bacteria from urethra to bladder. At least in the Finnish treatment practice this is take care with antibiotics.

Hope everything goes well.

[284bob]

Hi my husband had 6 weeks of bcg he had no side effects except a bit tired , unfortunately treatment failed it works for 85% unfortunately he was not one of them ,you need to keep plenty of bleach for after treatments we have 2 toilets so he had his own for reatment days . Good luck hope all goes well .

[ChrisRS]

Hi. I'm still having BCG treatment. The normal practice is to have an initial six weeks treatment (I.e once a week for six consecutive weeks), then maintenance treatment of three weeks three months later, and again after three months, and then six monthly thereafter for around 30 months. Each set of treatments is followed by a Cystoscopy op 4-6 weeks later to check the bladder, and take biopsies, if necessary.

The side effects of BCG treatment can vary a lot and can increase each time. It is normal to have cystitis type symptoms immediately afterwards, and urgency and frequency issues can continue for several days. You are advised to take painkillers and Ibuprofen. My side effects have been quite severe and I have been prescribed a high dose antibiotic to take on the day of treatment, which has also helped.

As mentioned earlier, you are asked to keep the BCG in the bladder for 1 to 2 hours, although there is some debate as to whether it is necessary or beneficial to keep it in for more than 1 hour during the maintenance treatments.

When I started the treatment I stayed in the hospital for several hours, but found it stressful and difficult to travel home, when I was urinating every 10 - 15 mins. The frequency is partly down to the irritation of the bladder by the BCG and partly down to the volume of water you are encouraged to drink to flush out the bacteria.

Now I go home straight after the BCG is in, and lie on the back seat of my partner's car, turning over every 10-15 mins! You are recommended to turn from lying on front and back and each side every 15 mins, to spread the BCG around the bladder.

If you are at home during the first six hours of urination after the treatment you do need lots of bleach as you are required to put bleach down the toilet and leave it there for 15 or 20 mins before flushing, to kill the bacteria.

Good luck and hope the treatment works.

Chris

[gwyn53 in reply to ChrisRS]

Thank you for this wonderful description.

This makes it clear for my husband.

He is worried he can't work.

But the nurse days after two days or,day of treatment and next day he shouldn't.he us part to!e right now. Retiring in December when 65.

This will put his mind at rest.

Thank you.

[ChrisRS in reply to gwyn53]

No problem, glad it helps. I was off work day of BCG, worked at home (on computer) on day after, and was back in the office the day after that.

[JyrkiKasvi in reply to ChrisRS]

Just to let you know there are national differences, here in Finland the bleach disinfectation of the toilet is not even mentioned. When I asked about it, I was told that the bacteria dies outside the body soon enough.

[ChrisRS]

Interesting. Is that 'cos it's really cold?! Would be much easier not having to wait for bleach to work, as I have to use two toilets during the worst period. I may follow up on that.

[Phil444]

Good luck with the BCG, been on I every 6 months for 2 years now and so far so good. Yes side effects are a problem for a couple of day as but it soon passes.

[robyndasey]

I had no problems or side effects from BCG treatment.  The BCG is put into the bladder via a catheter, then left there for 2 hours, after which you can urinate and must drink much water.   Unfortunately however it has not killed my cancer.

[rosietheriveter]

It affects every one differently. I have severe abdominal pain.

Symptoms go away in less than a day. As you get nearer to the end the symptoms

may get stronger.

[McLabhran]

I don't know where you are located. Each person reacts differently to BCG treatment. Some sail through without any major affect and some are completely sensitive to begin with that they were in pain for quite a while. I am female and I had a horrible time that very few people have that level of sensitivity. My treatments had to be handled on and off so as to give my bladder a break because it could not tolerate the treatments, but I did complete the 6-10 week treatments over a longer span of time. I actually developed cystitis (inflammation) of the bladder and urethra. Some men experience this as well. Just depends on the person's sensitivity. Do your research on the internet (the affects of BCG treatment). You have to be your own advocate... ask, ask and ask. If you are dissatisfied don't just accept the minimal amount of what the doctor says. Some doctors are in a hurry to cut out body parts when it is not necessary. Please check out thetruthaboutcancer.org. I highly recommend changing diet to be more of greens and fresh fish or chicken, stay away from too much red meat (beef, pork), NO sweets of any kind (cancer feeds on sugar), drink alkaline water or get a good filter so you are not drinking tap water. I was treated at the Cancer Treatment Center of America and they are wonderful... really care and caring. You don't feel like a another piece of meat!