@Article{,
AUTHOR = {Pierre I. Karakiewicz, Serge Benayoun, Daniel J. Lewinshtein,
Felix K.-H. Chun, Khaled Shahrour, Paul Perrotte},
TITLE = {Treatment of BCG failures with intravesical BCG/ Interferon: the University of Montreal experience},
JOURNAL = {Canadian Journal of Urology},
VOLUME = {13},
YEAR = {2006},
NUMBER = {4},
PAGES = {3189--3194},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/CJU/v13n4/62475},
ISSN = {1488-5581},
ABSTRACT = {Objective: Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) has shown
promise in large scale studies. We assessed recurrencefree survival in patients treated with intravesical BCG/
Interferon (IFN) for non-muscle invasive, BCG
refractory, transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the
urinary bladder at our local institution.
Methods: Cancer control data were gathered for patients
enrolled in a BCG/Interferon protocol at the University
of Montreal. The main inclusion criteria consisted of
pathologically proven evidence of intravesical BCG
failure, and of complete transurethral resection of latest
post BCG recurrence. Induction consisted of eight
intravesical BCG/Interferon instillations. Select patients
were treated with BCG/Interferon maintenance therapy.
Results: Thirteen patients aged from 45 to 81 years
(mean: 65) were included. Stages at TCC diagnosis were
distributed as follows: 6 (46%) CIS, 3 (23%) Ta, and 4
(31%) T1. Induction BCG consisted of an average of 11
weekly instillations (range 3-24). Prior to BCG/
Interferon stage distribution was as follows: 9 (69%) CIS,
and 4 (31%) T1. BCG/Interferon maintenance was
administered to 5 (38%) patients. Follow-up ranged from
1.5 to 32 months (mean=15, median=12). Recurrence
was diagnosed in 5 patients (38%). Recurrence free
survival (RFS) at 24 months was 66%. When stratified
according to T stage prior to BCG/IFN, patients with
CIS fared worse than T1 patients (50% versus 100%).
Maintenance had no effect on RFS (75% versus 69%).
Conclusions: Our results corroborate previous BCG/
IFN reports. In selected patients, intravesical BCG/IFN
offers a valid alternative to definitive therapy.},
DOI = {}
}