Comparative study on the efficacy of low-dose and full-dose BCG bladder perfusion therapy

Full-dose BCG bladder perfusion therapy is effective, but there are serious side effects. Whether a low dose of BCG can reduce the side effects of treatment while maintaining its efficacy is still inconclusive.

To compare the efficacy of low-dose and full-dose BCG bladder perfusion therapy and to provide reference for individual treatment of bladder cancer.

All relevant literature published in PubMed, Web of Science, and Embrase databases up to April 2024 was searched. The results and shortcomings of the existing literature are analyzed, the cognitive gaps between different studies are pointed out, and suggestions are made for future research.

A total of 32 pieces of literature were included. Twelve studies found that the efficacy of full-dose BCG perfusion was significantly better than that of low-dose BCG perfusion, and 20 studies found no statistical difference between low-dose and full-dose BCG perfusion

Although there is no significant difference in the efficacy of full-dose and low-dose BCG in bladder perfusion, the trend indicates that the efficacy of full-dose BCG is still the most accurate. In cases where BCG resources are scarce or patients are intolerant, low-dose BCG bladder perfusion therapy may be an alternative to full-dose BCG bladder perfusion therapy. High-quality, large-sample prospective cohort studies (or randomized controlled studies) are still needed in the future.