OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prognosis of primary bladder carcinoma in situ (CIS) according to the response to bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-six cases of primary CIS were treated with BCG. Mean, median and minimum follow-up periods were 47, 56 and 24 months. At 6 months, the patients were evaluated endoscopically and the response was classified as complete, partial or failure. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients (80.8%) showed complete response to BCG, 3 did so after a second course; 28.5% relapsed or progressed at a mean of 44 months. Five patients (19.2%) did not respond initially and all progressed in a period of 6 months. Early response to BCG was the only significant prognostic factor (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: A high- and a low-risk group of bladder CIS can be differentiated according to the response to BCG. CIS of the bladder has a poor prognosis, and the number of patients who developed progressive disease is significantly higher among the nonresponders.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prognosis of primary bladder carcinoma in situ (CIS) according to the response to bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-six cases of primary CIS were treated with BCG. Mean, median and minimum follow-up periods were 47, 56 and 24 months. At 6 months, the patients were evaluated endoscopically and the response was classified as complete, partial or failure. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients (80.8%) showed complete response to BCG, 3 did so after a second course; 28.5% relapsed or progressed at a mean of 44 months. Five patients (19.2%) did not respond initially and all progressed in a period of 6 months. Early response to BCG was the only significant prognostic factor (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: A high- and a low-risk group of bladder CIS can be differentiated according to the response to BCG. CIS of the bladder has a poor prognosis, and the number of patients who developed progressive disease is significantly higher among the nonresponders.