The Effect of Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin Treatment on Sexual Functions and Mental Health in Male and Female Patients Diagnosed with Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) treatment on sexual functions in females and males diagnosed with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Methods: The study included 87 patients, who presented to the authors’ clinic, were diagnosed with NMIBC, and underwent intravesical BCG immunotherapy. All participants were interviewed thrice: before the first dose, after the third dose, and 4 weeks after the sixth dose of BCG. The Demographic Information Form, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) (in males), and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) (in females) were used in all 3 sessions.

Results: Beck Depression Inventory scores of both males (4.74 ± 4.47, 10.22 ± 6.98, and 5.78 ± 4.96, respectively) and females (9.11 ± 5.33, 15.06 ± 5.3, and 9.67 ± 6.61) significantly increased after the third dose but decreased 4 weeks after the sixth dose of BCG (P < .001). In addition, it was observed that the IIEF-5 scores for males (19.7 ± 6.3, 8.24 ± 8.03, and 17.9 ± 7.11, respectively) and the FSFI scores for females (13.03 ± 8.47, 4.83 ± 6.28, and 11.66 ± 9.04 respectively) decreased after the third dose but increased 4 weeks after the sixth dose of BCG (P < .001).

Conclusion: Repeated intravesical BCG treatments for patients with NMIBC may lead to sexual dysfunction (SD) and mental health. In this study, the peak SD was observed during the treatment process among male and female patients diagnosed with NMIBC who initiated a 6-week BCG treatment. In addition, both men and women were found to be mildly depressed during treatment. These findings tended to improve approximately 4 weeks after the end of the treatment.

Cite this article as: Kettas Dolek E, Biyikoglu M, Cayan S, Senel S, Bozlu M, Akbay E. The effect of intravesical Bacillus Calmette- Guerin treatment on sexual functions and mental health in male and female patients diagnosed with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Urol Res Pract. 2026, 52, 0045, doi: 10.5152/tud.2026.25045.