Effects of Vitamin A and Bacillus Calmette -Guerin (BCG) Combination on Experimental Bladder Cancer

Lee, Kang Hyun; Kim, Young Kyoon

Abstract

The effects of BCG and vitamin A acetate, either alone or in combination were studied on rats with bladder tumors induced by N-butyl -N-(4 -hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine. Therapy was started at week 12 and all rats were sacrificed at week 20. Vitamin A acetate therapy significantly reduced the mean number of tumors and the incidence of bladder cancer. The combination of vitamin A acetate and intraperitoneal BCG therapy, more effectively reduced the mean number of bladder tumors and the incidence of bladder cancer than vitamin A acetate therapy alone did. BCG therapy also significantly reduced the mean number of tumors and the incidence of bladder cancer. The difference between the effect of intraperitoneal BCG injection and that of intravesical BCG was not statistically significant. The combination therapy of BCG and vitamin A acetate more effectively reduced the mean number or tumors than BCG therapy along did. The incidence of bladder cancer was also reduced though the statistical significance was not definite (p =0.07). The above results suggest that vitamin A acetate and BCG therapy after initiation of precancerous lesions, alter favorably the course of the experimental bladder cancers in rats and the combination of the two does more effectively.