Researchers looked at the effectiveness of two different treatments for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The study compared hyperthermic intravesical chemotherapy (HIVEC) with a common treatment called bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). They tracked 820 patients over a period of 24 months to see how well each treatment worked.
The results showed that both HIVEC and BCG were equally effective. There were no significant differences between the two methods regarding recurrence-free survival, progression-free survival, or overall survival. This means both treatments performed similarly in keeping the cancer from returning or spreading during the study period.
However, there was a difference in how patients felt during treatment. Patients receiving BCG reported significantly higher rates of dysuria, which is pain during urination. Because of this, HIVEC may be a more tolerable option for some people. It could be a helpful alternative for patients who cannot tolerate BCG or when BCG supplies are low.
