Connect
← Return to Recent diagnosis of early stage T1 NIMBC: Any tips?
Discussion
Recent diagnosis of early stage T1 NIMBC: Any tips?
Bladder Cancer | Last Active: Apr 27 5:10pm | Replies (28)Comment receiving replies
@dks2500 I had a course of six BCG treatments in Omaha during the spring of 2024. BCG then became unavailable locally (April 2024). The treatments were at my urologist's office, and went off without a hitch. I had nine months of Adstiladrin treatments in 2025-2026, when the cancer returned, and now am hearing into another course of 12 BCG treatments in May-June. My treating physician is now at Mayo - Rochester, and he has assured me Mayo has a steady supply of BCG that will not be interrupted. Actually, Mayo has recombinant BCG (rBCG), which is an engineered version of the traditional Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine, modified to enhance immune response for treating non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. I will do my treatments here, at an infusion center or my local urologist's office, if the rBCG is available locally; otherwise, I'll drive to Mayo for the treatments. Best of luck to you.
Replies to "@dks2500 I had a course of six BCG treatments in Omaha during the spring of 2024...."
Connect
@djr5 Correction: My Mayo doctor tells me that the BCG I will be receiving is TICE, not recombinant, although the FDA has now authorized the use of rBCG. He does assure me that Mayo - Rochester's BCG source is shortage-proof. I've read that rBCG may be a bit more effective, and may have fewer side effects than traditionally produced BCG, but I have neither the information or relevant knowledge necessary to determine if this is true. Apropos of nothing, I am also having Valar Labs perform a Vesta test on my last TURBT pathology sample, to see if my biomarkers indicate whether I am amenable to further BCG treatment. My reasoning is that the test can't hurt and might be useful.