Search Results (50)

Background/Objectives: Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a rare and biologically distinct subset of urothelial malignancies, comprising approximately 5–10% of urothelial cancers. UTUC presents unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, with both a higher likelihood of invasive disease at presentation and a less favorable prognosis compared to urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Current treatment strategies for UTUC are largely derived from bladder cancer studies, underscoring the need for UTUC-directed research. This review provides a comprehensive overview of UTUC, encompassing diagnostic approaches, systemic and intraluminal therapies, surgical management, and future directions. Methods: A narrative review was conducted synthesizing evidence from guideline-based recommendations, retrospective and prospective clinical studies, and ongoing trials focused on UTUC. Results: Neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy is increasingly preferred in UTUC due to the risk of postoperative renal impairment that may preclude adjuvant cisplatin use. Surgical management includes kidney-sparing approaches and radical nephroureterectomy (RNU), with selection guided by tumor risk and patient comorbidities. While endoscopic management (EM) preserves renal function, it carries a higher recurrence and surveillance burden; RNU remains standard for high-risk cases. Systemic therapy for advanced and metastatic UTUC mirrors that of bladder urothelial carcinoma. Enfortumab vedotin (EV) plus pembrolizumab showed superior efficacy over chemotherapy in the EV-302 trial, with improved response rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival across subgroups, including UTUC. For patients ineligible for EV, the CheckMate-901 study supported first-line chemoimmunotherapy with gemcitabine, cisplatin, and nivolumab. Further systemic therapy strategies include maintenance avelumab post-chemotherapy (JAVELIN Bladder 100), targeted therapies such as erdafitinib (THOR trial), and trastuzumab deruxtecan (DESTINY-PanTumor02) in FGFR2/3-altered and HER2-positive disease, respectively. Conclusions: Historically, the therapeutic landscape of UTUC has been extrapolated from bladder cancer; however, ongoing research specific to UTUC is deriving more precise regimens involving the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, antibody–drug conjugates, and biomarker-driven therapies. Full article

This retrospective cohort study evaluated characteristics, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes in adults with locally advanced/metastatic urothelial carcinoma (la/mUC) receiving first-line (1L) systemic treatment with or without avelumab 1L maintenance (1LM) between January 2020 and July 2023. The index date was the first date with a claim for 1L systemic therapy after a la/mUC diagnosis. Patients with continuous health plan enrollment for ≥6 months before and ≥1 month after the index date were identified from Carelon Research’s Healthcare Integrated Research Database. Of 2820 patients receiving 1L treatment, 37.0% received platinum-based chemotherapy (PBC); 39.0%, immuno-oncology (IO) monotherapy; and 24.0%, other therapies. Renal disease and other comorbidities influenced 1L regimen choice. Healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs were reported for patients receiving second-line (2L) treatment. HCRU was high in 32.8% of patients (926 of 2820) who received 2L treatment. Median all-cause direct medical costs per patient per month were USD 15,859, USD 19,781, USD 11,346, and USD 9516 for 1L PBC, 1L PBC + avelumab 1LM, 1L IO monotherapy, and 1L other therapies, respectively. Most direct healthcare costs were attributed to all-cause outpatient visits. Full article

Urothelial carcinoma is three to four times more common in men than in women, with a 73-year old mean age at diagnosis which is older than the average age at diagnosis of all cancers. Urothelial carcinoma is rare in people under 40 years of age. Smoking, exposure to industrial chemicals, and family history influence the development of bladder cancer, but age remains one of the most important risk factors. It is well established that women are more likely to be diagnosed with an advanced disease, impacting the prognosis and a higher stage-for-stage mortality compared to men. A gender difference is also observed when considering molecular features; for example, there a higher male/female ratio in Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 3 (FGFR3)-mutated bladder cancer. Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) amplifications, which are roughly depicted in 25–50% of urothelial carcinoma, have been correlated with a worse prognosis. Genomic alterations of clinical interest are mainly Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 mutations and amplifications, as well as FGFR 3 alterations; however, no EGFR mutation has been routinely reported despite the frequency of its amplifications. Recurrently, no targeted inhibitors have demonstrated a benefit compared to platinum-based chemotherapy. We report a rare case of a 35-year-old woman presenting bone, hepatic, and lymph node metastatic urothelial carcinoma, harboring a deletion of 24 nucleotides in exon 19 of the EGFR gene with a 5-month response to osimertinib, a third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Full article

Avelumab first-line maintenance (1LM) is approved for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (la/mUC) who do not have disease progression after platinum-based chemotherapy (PBC). This retrospective study describes real-world treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in patients with la/mUC who initiated first-line (1L) systemic treatments, including avelumab 1LM, within iKnowMed, the US community oncology electronic health records database, between 1 December 2019 and 30 November 2023 and followed through 28 February 2024. In total, 1658 patients with la/mUC initiated 1L treatment: immuno-oncology (IO) monotherapy (41.2%), PBC only (32.4%), PBC followed by avelumab 1LM (11.2%), and other treatments (15.1%). The median OS (95% CI) from the start of 1L treatment was 20.4 (13.8, 30.0), 11.0 (8.5, 14.5), and 14.6 (12.6, 17.3) months for cisplatin-based only, carboplatin-based only, and IO monotherapy, respectively. Among the overall population, 36.1% and 11.8% of patients received second-line (2L) and third-line treatment, respectively. The median (95% CI) OS from the start of avelumab 1LM was 18.5 (13.8, 23.8) months. After discontinuation of avelumab 1LM, 43.5% received 2L treatment, and 59.3% of those received enfortumab vedotin (EV); the median (95% CI) OS from start of 2L EV was 12.7 (7.2, 16.5) months. Survival outcomes among patients treated with avelumab 1LM and 2L EV are consistent with respective clinical trials and other real-world studies. Full article

Background: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of dialysis on patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) who are undergoing surgical intervention, as well as to identify predictive factors linked to contralateral recurrence. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on patients who underwent radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for non-metastatic UTUC at our institution from 2000 to 2013. The contralateral recurrence rate was calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the relationship between clinicopathological characteristics and contralateral recurrence. Results: A total of 593 patients were included in this analysis, of which 31 (5.8%) experienced metachronous recurrence on the contralateral side. Kaplan–Meier analysis indicated a statistically significant reduction in the contralateral recurrence-free survival rate among female patients (p = 0.040), those with a prior history of bladder cancer (p < 0.001), individuals presenting with multiple tumors (p = 0.011), patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) (p < 0.001), and those requiring postoperative dialysis (p < 0.001). In contrast, preoperative hemodialysis status did not show a significant correlation with contralateral recurrence (p = 0.08). The multivariate analysis identified a history of bladder cancer (hazard ratio (HR), 3.19; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.2–8.4; p = 0.018), the necessity for new hemodialysis postoperatively (HR, 5.34; 95% CI, 1.3-25.6; p = 0.034), and advanced CKD (HR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.4–4.9; p = 0.021) as independent risk factors associated with an increased rate of contralateral recurrence. Conclusions: In conclusion, advanced CKD, a history of bladder cancer, and the initiation of new dialysis following surgery were identified as independent prognostic indicators for contralateral recurrence in patients with initial unilateral UTUC undergoing RNU. It is recommended that patients exhibiting these three adverse characteristics undergo rigorous monitoring of the contralateral upper urinary tract throughout the follow-up period. Full article

Background: For many decades, gemcitabine + cisplatin has been a preferred and accepted treatment option for patients with urothelial cancer (UC). In patients ineligible for standard-dose cisplatin, split-dose cisplatin is a promising alternative. This study aimed to provide insights into the use of split-dose cisplatin and factors influencing treatment choice. Methods: Between January and March 2024, an international cross-sectional survey was carried out, which involved oncologists and urologists treating patients with locally advanced/metastatic UC (la/mUC) in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Spain, the UK, and the USA. Demographics, practice patterns, and clinical parameters influencing treatment choice were collected. Results: Of the 791 respondents, most were male (73%), the mean age was 43 years, and the mean time spent in clinical practice was 13 years. In total, 85% reported using split-dose cisplatin in UC, ranging from 97% in Canada to 67% in Brazil. The preferred schedule in la/mUC was gemcitabine + cisplatin 35 mg/m² on days 1 and 8 of 21-day cycles (57%). Most respondents (64%) were comfortable prescribing split-dose cisplatin to otherwise fit patients with a creatinine clearance ≥40 mL/min. Standard- and split-dose cisplatin were preferred regimens for otherwise fit patients with creatinine clearance of 45–60 mL/min. Conclusions: This large international survey demonstrates the extensive use of split-dose cisplatin in patients with la/mUC. Responses indicate that split-dose cisplatin is administered to patients in clinical practice with a wider range of creatinine clearance, performance status, and comorbidities than suggested for standard-dose cisplatin. Results highlight the need to evaluate split-dose cisplatin prospectively and establish consensus guidelines for its use, especially in patients unfit for standard-dose cisplatin. Full article

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy has long been the standard first-line (1L) treatment for metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). However, up to 50% of patients with mUC may be ineligible for cisplatin owing to comorbidities, necessitating alternative primary treatment options. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have emerged as a vital alternative for those unable to receive cisplatin. Nevertheless, the prognosis of advanced UC remains dire and challenges persist in optimizing 1L therapy. Recent medical advancements have redirected attention towards innovative drug combinations for the primary treatment of mUC. The combination of enfortumab vedotin (EV) and pembrolizumab has shown significantly improved overall and progression-free survival rates compared to those with chemotherapy alone. This combination can be used as a 1L treatment for patients with mUC who are cisplatin-ineligible or require alternatives to standard chemotherapy. While platinum-based chemotherapy continues to be essential for many patients, the approval of EV and pembrolizumab as 1L treatments for cisplatin-ineligible patients signifies a major breakthrough in primary cancer care. These therapies offer enhanced outcomes in terms of survival and response rates and highlight the increasing relevance of ICI-containing regimens in frontline cancer care. This review provides an exhaustive overview of the current frontline treatment landscape of mUC and explores new therapeutic strategies, with the aim of facilitating clinical decision-making and guiding therapeutic strategies in patients with mUC. Full article

The standard of care for advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) was historically identified with platinum-based chemotherapy. Thanks to the advances in biological and genetic knowledge and technologies, new therapeutic agents have emerged in this setting recently: the immune checkpoint inhibitors and the fibroblast growth factor receptor inhibitors as the target therapy for patients harboring alterations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) pathway. However, chasing a tumor’s tendency to recur and progress, a new class of agents has more recently entered the scene, with promising results. Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are in fact the latest addition, with enfortumab vedotin being the first to receive accelerated approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2019, followed by sacituzumab govitecan. Many other ADCs are still under investigation. ADCs undoubtedly represent the new frontier, with the potential of transforming the management of mUC treatment in the future. Therefore, we reviewed the landscape of mUC treatment options, giving an insight into the molecular basis and mechanisms, and evaluating new therapeutic strategies in the perspective of more and more personalized treatments. Full article

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) consist of an antibody backbone that recognizes and binds to a target antigen expressed on tumor cells and a small molecule chemotherapy payload that is conjugated to the antibody via a linker. ADCs are one of the most promising therapeutic modalities for the treatment of various cancers. However, many patients have developed resistance to this form of therapy. Extensive efforts have been dedicated to identifying an effective combination of ADCs with other types of anticancer therapies to potentially overcome this resistance. A recent clinical study demonstrated that a combination of the ADC enfortumab vedotin (EV) with the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) pembrolizumab can achieve remarkable clinical efficacy as the first-line therapy for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (la/mUC)—leading to the first approval of a combination therapy of an ADC with an ICI for the treatment of cancer patients. In this review, we highlight knowledge and understanding gained from the successful development of EV and the combination therapy of EV with ICI for the treatment of la/mUC. Using urothelial carcinoma as an example, we will focus on dissecting the underlying mechanisms necessary for the development of this type of combination therapy for a variety of cancers. Full article

Background: Patients with locally advanced/metastatic urothelial cancer have been conventionally treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Recently, numerous new treatments have been proposed to improve overall survival (OS) and reduce adverse effects, but no direct head-to-head comparisons among these agents are available. Methods: The treatments evaluated in our analyses included (a) monotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI); (b) combinations of an ICI with chemotherapy; and (c) combinations of an ICI with other drugs. Using OS as the endpoint, a series of indirect comparisons were performed to rank the most effective regimens against both chemotherapy and each other. Our analysis was based on the application of an artificial intelligence software program (IPDfromKM method) that reconstructs individual patient data from the information reported in the graphs of Kaplan–Meier curves. Results: A total of five studies published in six articles were included. In our main analysis, nivolumab plus chemotherapy showed better OS compared to chemotherapy (HR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.59–0.82), while durvalumab plus tremelimumab showed no OS benefit (HR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.82–1.11). More interestingly, enfortumab vedotin plus pembrolizumab significantly prolonged OS compared to both chemotherapy alone (HR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.45–0.63) and nivolumab plus chemotherapy (HR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.60–0.97). Discussion and conclusion: Among new treatments for locally advanced and metastatic urothelial cancer, enfortumab vedotin plus pembrolizumab showed the best efficacy in terms of OS. Our results support the use of this combination as a first-line treatment in this setting. Full article

Background: In the EV-301 trial, enfortumab vedotin prolonged survival in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma previously treated with platinum-based therapy and programmed cell death 1/programmed death-ligand 1 inhibitor. However, real-world Asian data are limited, and potential prognostic markers are non-existent. We aimed to investigate potential prognostic markers for enfortumab vedotin therapy in Asian patients. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 61 Japanese patients treated with enfortumab vedotin therapy at our hospital and affiliated hospitals between January 2019 and September 2023. Results: Enrolled patients (38 men, 23 women; median age 74 [IQR: 68–79] years) had bladder cancer (26 patients) or upper-tract urothelial carcinoma (35 patients). Fifty-four patients reported adverse events (grade >3 in 12). Skin disorders, pruritus, and neuropathy were common adverse effects. The median overall survival was 17.1 months (95% confidence interval: 10.0–not applicable). In multivariate analysis, the C-reactive protein level was an independent marker predicting favorable overall survival with enfortumab vedotin. Patient characteristics did not differ between C-reactive protein-high and -low groups. Conclusions: Our study provides real-world data showing that enfortumab vedotin prolonged survival in Asian patients similar to the EV-301 trial. Additionally, the C-reactive protein level might be considered a prognostic marker of enfortumab vedotin therapy in such patients. Full article

The treatment landscape of genitourinary cancers has significantly evolved over the past few years. Renal cell carcinoma, bladder cancer, and prostate cancer are the most common genitourinary malignancies. Recent advancements have produced new targeted therapies, particularly antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), due to a better understanding of the underlying oncogenic factors and molecular mechanisms involved. ADCs function as a ‘drug delivery into the tumor’ system. They are composed of an antigen-directed antibody linked to a cytotoxic drug that releases cytotoxic components after binding to the tumor cell’s surface antigen. ADCs have been proven to be extremely promising in the treatment of several cancer types. For GU cancers, this novel treatment has only benefited patients with metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC). The rest of the GU cancer paradigm does not have any FDA-approved ADC treatment options available yet. In this study, we have thoroughly completed a narrative review of the current literature and summarized preclinical studies and clinical trials that evaluated the utility, activity, and toxicity of ADCs in GU cancers, the prospects of ADC development, and the ongoing clinical trials. Prospective clinical trials, retrospective studies, case reports, and scoping reviews were included. Full article

Background: Our study endeavors to elucidate the clinical implications of PD-L1 positivity in individuals afflicted with advanced urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB). Methods: Patients with advanced UCB were prospectively enrolled following a radical cystectomy (RC) performed within January 2017 to December 2022 at our tertiary referral center. The clinical outcome, defined as the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) on systemic treatment, was analyzed using an χ²-test, Mann–Whitney U-test, the Kaplan–Meier method, and a log-rank test. Results: A total of 648 patients were included following an RC performed within January 2017 to December 2022. Their PD-L1 status was analyzed with the primary PD-L1-specific antibody (clone SP263, Ventana) and defined both by the CPS and IC-score in 282 patients (43.5%) with a high risk (pT3–pT4 and/or lymph node involvement) or metastatic UCB. While the median PFS was significantly prolonged 5-fold in PD-L1+ patients, we found no difference in OS, regardless of PD-L1 status, or treatment regimen. Conclusions: While PD-L1 positivity indicates prolonged PFS, the presence of PD-L1 does not influence OS rates, suggesting its limited usefulness as a prognostic biomarker in bladder cancer. However, the positive correlation between an PD-L1 status and a sustained response to ICI treatments indicates its potential role as a predictive biomarker. Further research is required to understand how the predictive value of PD-L1 positivity may extend to the use of ICIs in combination with antibody-drug conjugates. Full article

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) improve overall survival (OS) in advanced/metastatic urothelial cancer (a/mUC) patients. Preliminary evidence suggests a prognostic role of inflammatory biomarkers in this setting. We aimed to develop a disease-specific prognostic inflammatory index for a/mUC patients on ICIs. Methods: Fifteen variables were retrospectively correlated with OS and progression-free survival (PFS) in a development (D, n = 264) and a validation (V, n = 132) cohort of platinum-pretreated a/mUC pts receiving ICIs at L2 or further line. A nomogram and inflammatory prognostic index (U-IPI) were developed. The index was also tested in a control cohort of patients treated with chemotherapy only (C, n = 114). Results: The strongest predictors of OS were baseline platelet/lymphocyte (PLR) and neutrophil/lymphocyte (NLR) ratios, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), NLR, and albumin changes at 4 weeks. These were used to build the U-IPI, which can distinctly classify patients into good or poor response groups. The nomogram scoring is significant for PFS and OS (p < 0.001 in the D, V, and combined cohorts) for the immunotherapy (IO) cohort, but not for the control cohort. Conclusions: The lack of a baseline systemic inflammatory profile and the absence of early serum inflammatory biomarker changes are associated with significantly better outcomes on ICIs in a/mUC pts. The U-IPI is an easily applicable dynamic prognostic tool for PFS and OS, allowing for the early identification of a sub-group with dismal outcomes that would not benefit from ICIs, while distinguishing another that draws an important benefit. Full article

Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignancies in the United States, with over 80,000 new cases and 16,000 deaths each year. Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the most common histology and accounts for 90% of cases. BC management is complicated by recurrence rates of over 50% in both muscle-invasive and non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. As such, the American Urological Association (AUA) recommends that patients undergo close surveillance during and after treatment. This surveillance is in the form of cystoscopy or imaging tests, which can be invasive and costly tests. Considering this, there have been recent pushes to find complements to bladder cancer surveillance. Cell-free DNA (CfDNA), or DNA released from dying cells, and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), or mutated DNA released from tumor cells, can be analyzed to detect and characterize the molecular characteristics of tumors. Research has shown promising results for ctDNA use in the BC care realm. A PubMed literature review was performed finding studies discussing cfDNA and ctDNA in BC detection, prognostication, and monitoring for recurrence. Keywords used included bladder cancer, cell-free DNA, circulating tumor DNA, urothelial carcinoma, and liquid biopsy. Studies show that ctDNA can serve as prognostic indicators of both early- and late-stage BC, aid in risk stratification prior to major surgery, assist in detection of disease progression and metastatic relapse, and can assess patients who may respond to immunotherapy. The benefit of ctDNA is not confined to BC, as studies have also suggested its promise as a biomarker for neoadjuvant chemotherapy in upper-tract UC. However, there are some limitations to ctDNA that require improvements in ctDNA-specific detection methods and BC-specific mutations before widespread utilization can be achieved. Further prospective, randomized trials are needed to elucidate the true potential ctDNA has in advancements in BC care. Full article