Bladder Cancer

Many questions still remain in the treatment of localized bladder cancer, like which patients are best suited to receive neoadjuvant (pre-surgery) chemotherapy – a procedure that could be beneficial to many, but comes with increased toxicity.

Because little is known about the effect of patients' sex on the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors as cancer treatments, the researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the heterogeneity of immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy between men and women.

Immunotherapy is being tested in the second-line setting for metastatic bladder cancer. Pending trial results, the role of chemotherapy for this patient population may change.

Phase 2 study results showed that patients with metastatic or unresectable, FGFR-positive bladder cancer may have a third-line option for treatment.

The FDA has incorporated PD-L1 status into the labels for Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and Tecentriq (atezolizumab) for existing frontline approvals for platinum-ineligible patients with urothelial carcinoma, based on lower overall survival (OS) rates with the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors compared with platinum-based chemotherapy for patients with PD-L1–low expressing platinum-eligible urothelial carcinoma.

Oncolytic, or engineered, viruses that infect and kill cancer cells are showing promise.

Enfortumab vedotin may be a potential novel therapy for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer, according to updated phase 1 study findings presented during the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.

PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors are generally well-tolerated, so most patients face little or no issues with the drugs. However, there are still some things to look out for.

Patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer experience high levels of distress, according to one study.

Immunotherapy is making landmark change in the treatment of patients with genitourinary (GU) cancers, with bladder cancer being the pioneer in the field, having five FDA-approved checkpoint inhibitors. But kidney cancer is not far behind, with a breakthrough therapy designation granted for a Keytruda (pembrolizumab) combination this past January.