BACKGROUND: Reasons for development of bacillus Calmette-Guerin(BCG)-refractory superficial @entity150 are unknown. In the present study, a series of cases was therefore analyzed, focusing on the influence of treatment before BCG application. @entity1 AND METHODS: A total of 96 @entity1 with superficial @entity150 received six weekly intravesical instillations of BCG followed in some cases by a further six applications at monthly intervals. If @entity5 recurred, a further course of treatment in association with surgery or some other therapy was chosen, depending on the @entity1 and the @entity5 condition. RESULTS: Thirty-three cases (34.4%) demonstrated @entity5 recurrence within 24 to 146 months, including 9 with progression. Pretreatments had been performed in 19 of these cases (57.6%) whereas they had been conducted for only 10 (15.9%) of the BCG-effective cases. Of the total 96 @entity1 , 29 received pretreatment with open surgery, systemic chemotherapy, intravesical instillation or oral administration of anticancer drugs, or immunotherapy. Sixty-six percent of these proved BCG refractory, in contrast to only 20.9% in the no-pretreatment group. Furthermore, 7 of the 9 @entity1 demonstrating progression had undergone pretreatment. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that intravesical instillation of BCG is more effective when no prior treatment has been attempted, and that best results may be achieved if BCG is chosen as the initial therapy for superficial @entity150 . When pretreatment has been performed and @entity2558 lesions recur, however, immediate total cystectomy should be advised.

Bacillus Calmette-Guerin-refractory superficial XXXX : focus on pretreatment episodes.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient', 'PATIENTS'] @entity2558 :: ('58492', 'Gene') :: ['pT1'] @entity150 :: ('MESH:D001749', 'Disease') :: ['bladder cancers', 'bladder cancer'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['tumor', 'tumors']
@entity150 :: (MESH:D001749,Disease) :: ['bladder cancers']
