Immunotherapy-based neoadjuvant treatment and complication rates after radical cystectomy.

Objective: To assess 30- and 90-day postoperative complication rates in patients who underwent robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) after receiving novel immunotherapy-based neoadjuvant treatment.

Methods: A bi-centre analysis was conducted in patients who underwent RARC with intracorporeal urinary diversion and who received an immunotherapy-based neoadjuvant regimen between 2017 and 2023. Complications were classified using the Clavien-Dindo system.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for patients undergoing radical cystectomy: Surgeons' perspectives and recommendations ten years after its implementation.

Background And Objectives: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines for Radical Cystectomy (RC) were published over ten years ago. Aim of this systematic review is to update ERAS recommendations for patients undergoing RC and to give an expert opinion on the relevance of each single ERAS item.

Methods: A systematic review was performed to identify the impact of each single ERAS item on RC outcomes.

Gemcitabine and docetaxel for high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: EuroGemDoce group results.

Objective: To evaluate the oncological efficacy and safety of sequential intravesical gemcitabine/docetaxel (Gem/Doce) therapy in a European cohort of patients with high-risk and very-high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) after previous Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) treatment.

Materials And Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from 95 patients with NMIBC, treated with Gem/Doce at 12 European centres between 2021 and 2024. Patients previously treated with BCG who had completed a full induction course and received at least one follow-up evaluation were included.

Benefit and Harms of Radical Nephroureterectomy as Part of a Multimodal Treatment Strategy for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma Patients Presenting with Clinical Evidence of Regional Lymph Node Metastasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis by the European Association of Urology Guidelines.

Background And Objective: Given the uncertainty regarding the role of radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) as part of a multimodal treatment strategy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) patients with cN+ disease, we aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the corresponding literature.

Methods: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines, we identified 17 observational comparative and noncomparative studies, published between January 2000 and September 2024, evaluating UTUC patients with cTanyN+M0 disease (P) who received RNU as part of a multimodal treatment strategy (I), as compared with any treatment strategy if applicable (C), to assess oncological or postoperative outcomes (O). Meta-analyses were further performed, as appropriate.

Identifying optimal candidates for active surveillance in low-grade intermediate-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Objective: The intermediate-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (IR-NMIBC) prognostic group is heterogeneous. Growing evidence supports the role of active surveillance (AS) for patients with low-risk NMIBC, however, no clear data exists considering IR-NMIBC. The aim of the study was to assess the risk of recurrence of patients eligible for AS based on the International Bladder Cancer Group (IBCG) stratification.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy VI-RADS Scores for Assessing Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer Response to Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy with Multiparametric MRI.

Background An accurate method of assessing the response of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) to neoadjuvant treatment is needed for selecting candidates for bladder-sparing strategies. Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and reproducibility of neoadjuvant chemotherapy Vesical Imaging Reporting and Data System (nacVI-RADS) scores and posttreatment Vesical Imaging Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) scores when assessing MIBC response to neoadjuvant immunotherapy with multiparametric MRI (mpMRI). Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis of MRI scans was conducted in patients enrolled in the PURE-01 study (NCT02736266) from February 2017 to December 2019 who underwent pre- and postimmunotherapy mpMRI before radical cystectomy.

Target trial emulation to evaluate the effect of immune-related adverse events on outcomes in metastatic urothelial cancer.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are an important therapeutic pillar in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). The occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) appears to be associated with improved outcomes in observational studies. However, these associations are likely affected by immortal time bias and do not represent causal effects.

Reflections on the AMBASSADOR trial: The role of adjuvant pembrolizumab in muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma.

Recent advances in immunotherapy have transformed treatment for muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma, providing hope for cisplatin-ineligible patients. The AMBASSADOR trial evaluated adjuvant pembrolizumab in high-risk patients post-surgery, demonstrating improved disease-free survival. As overall survival data evolve, pembrolizumab is emerging as a promising adjuvant treatment option, complementing existing therapies in the treatment landscape for this disease.

Survival after trimodal therapy in octogenarians with organ-confined urothelial bladder cancer.

Objectives: It is not known whether cancer-specific mortality (CSM) differences distinguish radical cystectomy (RC) from trimodal therapy (TMT) in octogenarians harbouring organ-confined (T2N0M0) urothelial cancer of the urinary bladder (UCUB).

Methods: Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (2004-2021), CSM and other-cause mortality (OCM) rates were computed in octogenarian patients with organ-confined UCUB undergoing either TMT or RC. Smoothed cumulative incidence plots depicted 5-year CSM and OCM rates according to RC vs TMT.

Adjuvant Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Muscle-Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma: An Updated Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Network Meta-analysis.

Context: Adjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have recently emerged as guideline-recommended treatments of high-risk muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma (MIUC). However, there is limited evidence regarding the optimal candidates and the differential efficacy of adjuvant ICI regimens.

Objective: To synthesize and compare the efficacy and safety of adjuvant ICIs for high-risk MIUC using updated data from phase III randomized controlled trials.

Risk of Metachronous Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma After Ureteral Stenting in Patients With Bladder Cancer.

Objective: Sparse data exist on the impact of upper urinary tract (UUT) decompression on the risk of UUT recurrence in patients with bladder cancer (BCa). This study aims to evaluate whether Double J stenting (DJS) can increase the risk of UUT recurrence compared to percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) placement.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 1550 patients with cTa-T3NanyM0 BCa who underwent radical cystectomy (RC) between at 12 tertiary care centers (1990-2020).

The role of re-transurethral resection of bladder tumor in patients with TaHG non muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Purpose: There is lack of evidence regarding the indication for re-transurethral resection of bladder tumor (reTURBT) for Ta high grade (HG) non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). This study aims to evaluate the oncological outcomes of patients with TaHG NMIBC to determine the benefit from performing reTURBT.

Methods: We relied on a multicenter cohort of 317 TaHG NMIBC from 12 centers who underwent TURBT and a subsequent complete Bacillus Calmette-Guérin induction from 2009 to 2021.

Mortality rates in radical cystectomy patients with bladder cancer after radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

Objective: To conduct a population-based study examining cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and other-cause mortality (OCM) differences in patients with radiation-induced secondary bladder cancer (RT-BCa) vs those with primary bladder cancer (pBCa) undergoing radical cystectomy (RC).

Methods: Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (2004-2020), we identified patients with TNM bladder cancer treated with RC, who had previously been treated with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) or brachytherapy for prostate cancer, as well as patients with TNM pBCa treated with RC. Cumulative incidence plots and multivariable competing risks regression (CRR) models were used to assess CSM after additional adjustment for OCM.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy before radical cystectomy in patients with organ-confined and non-organ-confined urothelial carcinoma.

Introduction: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) before radical cystectomy (RC) is guideline-recommended in patients with cT2-T4N0M0 urothelial carcinoma of urinary bladder (UCUB). However, no population-based study validated the survival benefit of NAC recorded in clinical trials in a stage-specific fashion. We addressed this knowledge gap.

Lights and Shadows of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-exposed and BCG-unresponsive Definitions: A Practical Overview.

According to the current definitions of recurrence of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer after bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), patients in the BCG-exposed and late relapse categories might benefit from further instillations. Patients with BCG-unresponsive disease could be included in clinical trials, but otherwise radical cystectomy is the preferred treatment. BCG-intolerant disease still represents an area of debate, with limited evidence regarding the best treatment for these patients.

Tissue-based Biomarkers Steering Clinical Decisions in Patients with Urothelial Cancer.

The European Association of Urology (EAU), National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and European Society for Medical Oncology guidelines recommend PD-L1 and FGFR testing for patients with locally advanced bladder cancer or upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) according to specific eligibility criteria; positive results indicate therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors or erdafitinib, respectively. The EAU guidelines recommend PD-L1 testing for subsequent adjuvant therapy in high-risk UC, and germline DNA sequencing in patients with UTUC positive for DNA mismatch repair alterations.

Perioperative platform for muscle-invasive bladder cancer trials: designs and endpoints.

Purpose Of Review: This review explores the design and endpoints of perioperative platforms in clinical trials for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

Recent Findings: The choice of clinical trial design in perioperative platforms for MIBC must align with specific research objectives to ensure robust and meaningful outcomes. Novel designs in perioperative platforms for MIBC integrate bladder-sparing approaches.

Gold nanorod-assisted theranostic solution for nonvisible residual disease in bladder cancer.

Residual nonvisible bladder cancer after proper treatment caused by technological and therapeutic limitations is responsible for tumor relapse and progression. This study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of a solution for simultaneous detection and treatment of bladder cancer lesions smaller than one millimeter. The α5β1 integrin was identified as a specific marker in 81% of human high-grade nonmuscle invasive bladder cancers and used as a target for the delivery of targeted gold nanorods (GNRs).

Bladder sparing options for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Purpose Of Review: This review critically evaluates the current state of bladder-sparing options in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) and provides an overview of future directions in the field.

Recent Findings: Bladder-sparing treatments have emerged as viable alternatives to radical cystectomy (RC) for selected patients with MIBC, especially in those who are unfit for RC or elect bladder preservation. Numerous studies have assessed the efficacy of trimodal therapy (TMT), with outcomes comparable to RC in a subgroup of well selected patients.

Deintensification of Treatment for Low-grade Bladder Tumors: A Collaborative Review by the International Bladder Cancer Group (IBCG).

Background And Objective: Management of low-grade (LG) urothelium-confined (Ta stage) non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) poses a distinct therapeutic challenge. Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT), the standard treatment, frequently has to be repeated because of high tumor recurrence rates. This places a considerable strain on both patients and health care infrastructure, underscoring the need for alternative management approaches.