Glossary

Words you will want to know

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (buh-SIH-lus KAL-met GAY-ran): See “BCG.”
BCG: Short for Bacillus Calmette-Guérin. A liquid medication placed inside the bladder to boost the body’s immune system.
Carcinoma in situ (kar-sih-NOH-muh in SYE-too): See “CIS.”
Catheter (KATH-ih-ter): A soft, flexible tube inserted into the bladder to drain urine or to deliver medication.
CIS: Short for carcinoma in situ. CIS is a form of bladder cancer that has a high potential to spread into the bladder muscle and outside of the bladder.
Cystectomy (sis-TEK-tuh-mee): Surgery to remove part or all of the bladder.
Cystoscope (SIS-toh-skope): A slender tube with a lens and a light. It is placed into the bladder through the urethra, so that the healthcare professional can view the inside of the bladder.
Fulguration (ful-gyuh-RAY-shun): A procedure to destroy tissue (such as a tumor) by means of an electrical current. (Also called electrofulguration.)
Intravesical (in-truh-VES-ih-kul): Within the bladder.
Intravesical therapy: Medication delivered into the bladder through a tube inserted into the urethra.
Resectoscope (ree-SEK-toh-skope): A rigid cystoscope with a wire loop on the end. Used to scrape tumors from the bladder lining.
Transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (tranz-yoo-REE-thral ree-SEK-shun): See “TURBT.”
TURBT: Short for transurethral resection of the bladder tumor. Surgery performed with an instrument that is inserted through the urethra and into the bladder. (May also be referred to as TUR or TURB.)
Urethra (yoo-REE-thra): The narrow tube that carries urine from the bladder and out of the body.
Urinary cytology (YUR-ih-nehr-ee sye-TAHL-uh-jee): Microscopic inspection of urine to look for cancer cells.

VALSTAR^® (valrubicin) is a liquid medicine put into the bladder with flexible tubing (a catheter) and is used for patients whose bladder cancer (CIS) did not respond to BCG therapy and for those that cannot have surgery right away to take out the bladder. This type of treatment is called intravesical therapy, which means "within the bladder."

Important Safety Information

Tell your doctor if you have had a reaction or a close family member has had a reaction to any of the ingredients in VALSTAR and if a doctor has ever said you have a hole in your bladder or a weak bladder wall. Tell your doctor if you have a urinary tract infection or if you go to the bathroom a lot because of a small bladder. VALSTAR should not be used if you have any of these conditions.

VALSTAR treatment may result in full remission of bladder cancer (CIS) in about 1 in 5 patients (about 18%) whose cancer did not respond to BCG therapy. Waiting to have all or part of your bladder taken out could lead to the spread of bladder cancer (CIS) and even death. You should talk with your doctor about the risks of waiting for surgery.

If your bladder cancer (CIS) does not respond to the medicine after 3 months or if your bladder cancer (CIS) comes back, you should talk with your doctor again about having the surgery to take out your bladder.

You may have pain or irritation of your bladder during or shortly after getting the medicine. You may not be able to hold the medicine in the whole time or it may leak out. For the first day after getting the medicine, your urine may have a red color. This is normal. Tell your doctor right away if you have pain or if you have red-colored urine after the first day of getting the medicine.

If you plan to be sexually active, talk with your doctor about possible risks and use the birth control method recommended by your doctor.

During or after getting the medicine, you may experience some common side effects reported by other patients. These side effects may include going to the bathroom a lot, not going to the bathroom enough, not making it to the bathroom in time, or pain when urinating. The side effects most reported by other patients included urinary tract infections, stomach pain, nausea, weakness, headache, a general feeling of being sick, and not going to the bathroom enough.

Safety and effectiveness in children have not been established.

You are asked to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

For more information, ask your doctor or call 1-800-462-3636.