ecancermedicalscience

Review

BCG in the fight against cancer: exploring its applications in diverse tumour types and future directions

9 Jun 2026
P Ignacio A Bianco, O Jeismar M Carballo, P Isaac R Blanca, Ana Federica Convit

Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG), originally a tuberculosis vaccine, is a standard immunotherapy for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). This review summarises BCG biology, including trained immunity, and evaluates clinical and translational evidence for BCG across solid tumours. We aim to distinguish guideline-supported indications from investigational uses and identify contexts where BCG may remain clinically relevant or trial-ready. Evidence is strongest in NMIBC, where outcomes depend on induction plus maintenance schedules and appropriate patient selection. Outside the bladder, intralesional and vaccine-adjuvant approaches show signals in selected melanoma and vaccine settings, while historical lung and colorectal trials largely failed to translate into durable benefit. Emerging preclinical work in hepatocellular carcinoma and breast cancer suggests potential synergy with modern immunotherapy strategies. BCG should be framed as a platform immunomodulator whose value beyond NMIBC requires mechanism-guided trials, clear safety boundaries and clinically anchored endpoints.

Related Articles

Gbenro E. Olukiran, Adewumi O. Alabi, Anthonia C. Sowunmi, Babatunde Fadipe, Gbenga O. Popoola, Sunday A. Okinbaloye, Hnin L. Nwe Thein, Ololade Kehinde
Zakayo Ernesti, Emanuel Lugina, Chacha J Mwita, Felister Tupa, Herriethsiah S Noah, John R Ngowi, Charles Wood, Julius Mwaiselage, Salum J Lidenge
Neha Singh, Sujata Agrawal, Zachariah Chowdhury, Shashikant Patne, Ipsita Dhal, Paramita Paul, Sadaf Haiyat, Akhil Kapoor, Anuj Gupta, Bal Krishna Mishra, Mayank Tripathi, Bipinesh Sansar
Victor Acosta Marín, Fernando Petracci, Denis U Landaverde, William Mantilla, Cynthia Villarreal, Guianeya Santander, Agatha Reyes, Joel Moreno, Ahmad Wali Mushtaq, Brizio Moreno, Juan Carlos Samamé
M T Maria Tereza Nieto-Coronel, Daniela Shveid Gerson, Gian Karla Urey Cuellar, Navia-Bueno Ma Pilar, Maribel Marmol Casas
Ashutosh Mishra, Amit Kumar, Ajay Gogia, Chinmay Bagla, Gajendra Pandit, Jyoti Sharma, Jyoutishman Saikia, Rohan Kapoor, D N Sharma, Atul Batra, Surendra Saini, Supriya Mallick, Nishkarsh Gupta, Brajesh Ratre, Ruchi Rathore, Sandeep Mathur, Sunil Kumar, Suryanarayana Deo