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BCG vs Gen/Doce treatment
My pathology report showed I have stage Ta / non invasive/ high grade cancer. What is being recommended is BCG treatment. However, I’m also reading about Gem/Dose treatment. Has anyone know or experience both as to which one gave best results and less side effects? I’m now searching for a well recommended urologist, a choose which treatment I want to go with. Please let me know what you have experience or suggestions and recommendations. I’m 80 years old.
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Find an oncology urologist and cancer hospital. BCG has been used for more than 40 years and stimulates your immune system to attack the cancer. My first six treatments did not succeed so I just finished my second round of six to see if it worked. BCG side effects are not much of anything. There is about 90 seconds of minor discomfort while the put the catheter in place and instill the BCG and remove the catheter. I suppose that if my second round did not work, they’ll likely do the GEM/DOCE next. That’s a longer process, but BCG is usually a first step. I’m a 73 years old male.
I am 72 years old and had a similar diagnosis. Gem/Doce is working well for me.
I don’t have any experience with BCG. However, my chemo team prefers Gem/Doce protocol
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1 ReactionI had the same diagnosis. My pathology slides were examined by the Vesta AI system, which told my team that BCG would not work for me.
I have just had my fourth maintenance instillation after six weeks intro with Gem/Doce. Virtually no side effects and NED at second cystoscopy check.
Good luck!
Yes, getting with an oncology clinic that is nationally recognized is critical. I keep hearing about misdiagnoses and bad recommendations regarding bladder cancer, so go to the best you can. Regarding BCG, it’s referred to as the gold standard, so that would be a typical approach. Plus it is sometimes required first before turning to a newer treatment plan.
My husband, 80 yrs old, is finishing 24 Gem/Doce treatments after the usual 6 week start, as part of a trial at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He did not have BCG and his diagnosis was the same as yours. No serious side effects other than the usual fatigue and one UTI which was quickly treated. He is about to start the usual monitoring via cystoscopy. The trial should wrap up in 2027 and as it was quite large it should provide insight into the two treatments side by side. The other cohort received the standard BCG treatment.