Background. Thirty to forty percent of patients with high grade nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) fail to respond to intravesical therapy with bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG). Interferon-α2B plus BCG has been shown to be effective in a subset of patients with NMIBC BCG refractory disease.
Here we present a contemporary series on the effectiveness and safety of intravesical BCG plus interferon-α2B therapy in patients with BCG refractory NMIBC. Methods. From January of 2005 to April of 2014 we retrospectively found 44 patients who underwent induction with combination IFN/BCG for the management of BCG refractory NMIBC. A chart review was performed to assess initial pathological stage/grade, pathological stage/grade at the time of induction, time to IFN/BCG failure, pathological stage/grade at failure, postfailure therapy, and current disease state. Results. Of the 44 patients who met criteria for the analysis. High risk disease was found in 88. 6% of patients at induction. The 12-month and 24-month recurrence-free survival were 38. 6% and 18. 2%, respectively. 25 (56. 8%) ultimately had disease recurrence. Radical cystectomy was performed in 16 (36. 4%) patients. Conclusion. Combination BCG plus interferon-α2B remains a reasonably safe alternative treatment for select patients with BCG refractory disease prior to proceeding to radical cystectomy.
Advances in urology. 2015 Oct 13 [Epub]
Andres F Correa, Katherine Theisen, Matthew Ferroni, Jodi K Maranchie, Ronald Hrebinko, Benjamin J Davies, Jeffrey R Gingrich
Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3471 5th Avenue, Suite 700 Kaufmann Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. , Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3471 5th Avenue, Suite 700 Kaufmann Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. , Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3471 5th Avenue, Suite 700 Kaufmann Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. , Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3471 5th Avenue, Suite 700 Kaufmann Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. , Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3471 5th Avenue, Suite 700 Kaufmann Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. , Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3471 5th Avenue, Suite 700 Kaufmann Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. , Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3471 5th Avenue, Suite 700 Kaufmann Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.