Bladder Cancer Briefs June 14, 2023

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The Role of BCG Treatments in Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer and Managing Treatment Failure

Many people are familiar with BCG, but few may know that it originated as a live strain of cow tuberculosis, initially developed for tuberculosis vaccine research. In the 1970s, Alvaro Morales, a pioneering researcher from Canada working at the National Institute of Health (NIH), made a remarkable discovery in his animal model of cancer. He found that when BCG was administered in close proximity to a tumor, along with repetitive doses, it had the potential to eliminate the cancer in animals with a normal immune system.

Dr. Michael O’Donnell, a leading expert in immune therapy for bladder cancer and a holder of patents related to genetic manipulation of BCG bacteria, recently delved into the intricacies of BCG treatments on an episode of the Bladder Cancer Matters podcast. With his extensive involvement in national clinical trials, Dr. O’Donnell provides valuable insights into the world of BCG treatments and what patients should do if treatment no longer works.

Resources for Patients and Families

If you would like more information, we invite you to visit our web page about BCG treatments and read stories from patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.