1. < Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer treatment in immunocompromised transplant patient

Posted by lorcansc @lorcansc, Jan 27 8:58am

My high risk non muscle invasive bladder cancer has been non responsive to BCG. Has anyone else been in this situation and what course of treatment have you taken? My doctor says there is little information on immune, compromised patients and bladder cancer treatments.

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Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sepdvm | Jan 28 9:14am

Hello @lorcansc and welcome to Connect.
It doesn't sound surprising to have a poor response to BCG when it is considered a form of immunotherapy and your immune system is compromised by medication. My husband was also a BCG failure but with a normal immune system. After chemotherapy and an unsuccessful trial on Keytruda, another immunotherapy, he elected to have a radical cystectomy/prostatectomy with neobladder and has been clear of cancer for 3 years. He was tired of having the TURBT procedure repeatedly when a new tumor would show up. Some people go for years just having superficial bladder tumors removed as they show themselves. Are you having medical care where you had your lung transplant and is it a large referral center? It sounds like perhaps another opinion might be helpful. Obviously yours is a very unique case.

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1 reply
lorcansc | @lorcansc | Jan 28 4:01pm
In reply to @sepdvm "Hello @lorcansc and welcome to Connect. It doesn't sound surprising to have a poor response to..." + (show)
@sepdvm

Hello @lorcansc and welcome to Connect.
It doesn't sound surprising to have a poor response to BCG when it is considered a form of immunotherapy and your immune system is compromised by medication. My husband was also a BCG failure but with a normal immune system. After chemotherapy and an unsuccessful trial on Keytruda, another immunotherapy, he elected to have a radical cystectomy/prostatectomy with neobladder and has been clear of cancer for 3 years. He was tired of having the TURBT procedure repeatedly when a new tumor would show up. Some people go for years just having superficial bladder tumors removed as they show themselves. Are you having medical care where you had your lung transplant and is it a large referral center? It sounds like perhaps another opinion might be helpful. Obviously yours is a very unique case.

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Thank you, Sue.

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1 reply
lorcansc | @lorcansc | Jan 28 4:02pm
In reply to @lorcansc "Thank you, Sue." + (show)
@lorcansc

Thank you, Sue.

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Where did your husband have his surgery, and did he go with normal or robotic?

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Feb 8 3:49pm

@lorcansc, there are several members with organ transplants who have discussed going through cancer treatments for bladder or liver cancer like @tucsonguy @tle187 @donnac51. See these related discussions:

- Any transplant recipients get chemo for bladder cancer? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/bladder-cancer-kidney-transplant/

- Recurrent Liver Cancer After Liver Transplant https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/recurrent-liver-cancer-after-liver-transplant/

Are you able to get a second opinion at a large medical center with expertise in both transplant and cancer?

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