The Future of Immunotherapy for Bladder Cancer

New frontline treatments like Keytruda (pembrolizumab), immune synergizing agents and PD-1 antibodies are demonstrating positive results for patients with non—muscle invasive bladder cancer when they fail to respond to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy, according to Arjun V. Balar, M.D. However, immunotherapy is most likely to be augmented, rather than replaced, by such treatments.

At the 2019 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, Balar — who is director of the genitourinary medical oncology program at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center – discussed advances in bladder cancer treatment and what they mean for the future of BCG – the main intravesical immunotherapy for early stage bladder cancer.

“BCG has a long-standing history in the treatment of non—muscle invasive bladder cancer. I believe that it will actually have a firm role for decades to come largely because it is still very active.”