Can We Predict of the Response of High Risk Non Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Patients to Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin? The Role of Immunological Markers

Can We Predict of the Response of High Risk Non Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Patients to Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin? The Role of Immunological Markers

Intravesical BCG is the mainstay adjuvant management of high risk NMIBC. Adequacy of immune system stimulation is the determinant factor for patient response to BCG. Immunological markers for BCG-response could be helpful for urologists especially in the era of BCG shortage.

Objectives: To assess the predictive performance of different immunological markers on BCG-response in high risk NMIBC BCG-naïve patients.

Background: Intravesical BCG is the mainstay adjuvant management of high risk NMIBC. Adequacy of immune system stimulation is the determinant factor for patient response to BCG. Immunological markers for BCG-response could be helpful for urologists especially in the era of BCG shortage.

Objectives: To assess the predictive performance of different immunological markers on BCG-response in high risk NMIBC BCG-naïve patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients with primary or recurrent NMIBC for whom primary TURBT was done.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patients with previous BCG instillation,
2. benign pathology
3. Variant histology
4. Non urothelial carcinoma,
5. concommitent upper tract urothelial tumors, detrusor muscle invasion
6. low or intermediate risk NMIBC