| name: | BCG |
| also known as: | Bacille Calmette-Guerin; Chemotherapy Drugs |
| also see: | Tuberculosis; Chemotherapy Drugs |
| description: | BCG is attenuated tubercle bacilli such as from the bacteria corynebacterium parvum or from mycobacterium. BCG vaccine made from mycobacterium is sometimes used in parts of the world where the incidence of tuberculosis is high, especially among children. It is not used in the United States unless a case of TB can not be adequately treated. Although BCG is not used alone, it has been used along with chemotherapy drugs or radiation therapy. Melanoma tumors directly injected with BCG of the corynebacterium variety show regression and bladder cancer treated with intralesional injection produce longer disease free intervals. BCG vaccine is also used to try and prevent tuberculosis in high TB areas, in newborns who also have HIV infection or AIDS, or who were born of mothers who have AIDS. |
| outcome: | See tumor lysis syndrome and neutropenic fever. |
Last updated 10/5/2002