Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) encompasses approximately three-quarters of all bladder cancer (BC) diagnoses. Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) has been the long-standing gold ...standard treatment for patients following endoscopic resection. However, despite reasonable efficacy, recurrence rates are still suboptimal, and this, combined with treatment tolerability and BCG shortages, has prompted an investigation into alternative treatment modalities. Advances in this landscape have been predominantly for patients with BCG-unresponsive disease, and there are currently four FDA-approved treatments for these patients. More recently, trials have emerged looking for alternatives to BCG for patients who are treatment-naïve. We performed a literature search via PubMed to find recent publications on alternatives to BCG, as well as a search on clinicaltrials.gov and recent conference presentations for ongoing clinical trials. Studies have shown that combination intravesical chemotherapy, combination intravesical therapy with BCG, and combination intravenous therapy with BCG preliminarily have good efficacy and safety profiles in this disease space. Ongoing trials are underway, and we anticipate as these studies mature, there will be a shift in NMIBC treatment regimens.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a perioperative approach to managing surgical patients. The impact of ERAS on radical cystectomy (RC) outcomes remains understudied.
To review the literature ...regarding ERAS protocols and RC outcomes. The primary outcome was hospital length of stay (LOS).
A systematic review of the articles published from 1970 through 2018 was conducted. Individual patient data (IPD) were requested and a meta-analysis was performed.
A total of 4197 articles were retrieved and 22 (reporting 4048 patients) were selected for the review. LOS followed by 30-d and that followed by 90-d complications were the most common endpoints. ERAS use was associated with reduced morbidity, quicker bowel recovery, and shorter LOS, without affecting mortality. IPD were obtained for 2077 patients from 11 studies. In multivariable models, LOS was associated with ERAS use (regression coefficient: –4.54 95% confidence interval {CI}: –5.79 to –3.28 d with ERAS p < 0.001) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (+1.64 1.38–1.90 d for each point increase, p < 0.001), and varied between hospitals (from –1.59 –3.03 to –0.14 to +4.55 1.89–7.21 d, p < 0.03). Individual ERAS components associated with shorter LOS included no nasogastric (NG) tube (–8.70 –11.9 to –5.53 d, p < 0.001) and local anesthesia blocks compared with regional anesthesia (–3.29 –6.31 to –0.27 d, p = 0.03).
ERAS protocols were associated with reduced LOS and postoperative complication rate. Avoidance of NG tubes and use of local anesthesia blocks were significantly associated with reduced LOS. These findings reflect different components of recovery, which ERAS can optimize and further support documentation of the use of ERAS components when reporting RC outcomes.
Use of enhanced recovery in patients undergoing surgery to remove the bladder is associated with fewer surgical complications and a shorter hospital stay. Avoidance of nasogastric tubes and use of local anesthesia after the operation were associated with a shorter length of stay.
In this systematic review, we found the inclusion of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) components when reporting radical cystectomy outcomes and found that only 0.5% studies control for ERAS when reporting outcomes. In the individual patient data meta-analysis, elimination of bowel preparation and nasogastric tube, and use of regional anesthesia were significantly associated with decreased hospital length of stay. These findings reflect different components of recovery that ERAS can optimize and further support documentation of the use of ERAS components when reporting radical cystectomy outcomes.
CG0070 is a replication-competent oncolytic adenovirus that targets bladder tumor cells through their defective retinoblastoma pathway. Prior reports of intravesical CG0070 have shown promising ...activity in patients with high-grade non–muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) who previously did not respond to bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). However, limited accrual has hindered analysis of efficacy, particularly for pathologic subsets. We evaluated interim results of a phase II trial for intravesical CG0070 in patients with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC who refused cystectomy.
At interim analysis (April 2017), 45 patients with residual high-grade Ta, T1, or carcinoma-in-situ (CIS) ± Ta/T1 had evaluable 6-month follow-up in this phase II single-arm multicenter trial (NCT02365818). All patients received at least 2 prior courses of intravesical therapy for CIS, with at least 1 being a course of BCG. Patients had either failed BCG induction therapy within 6 months or had been successfully treated with BCG with subsequent recurrence. Complete response (CR) at 6 months was defined as absence of disease on cytology, cystoscopy, and random biopsies.
Of 45 patients, there were 24 pure CIS, 8 CIS + Ta, 4 CIS + T1, 6 Ta, 3 T1. Overall 6-month CR (95% CI) was 47% (32%–62%). Considering 6-month CR for pathologic subsets, pure CIS was 58% (37%–78%), CIS ± Ta/T1 50% (33%–67%), and pure Ta/T1 33% (8%–70%). At 6 months, the single patient that progressed to muscle-invasive disease had Ta and T1 tumors at baseline. No patients with pure T1 had 6-month CR. Treatment–related adverse events (AEs) at 6 months were most commonly urinary bladder spasms (36%), hematuria (28%), dysuria (25%), and urgency (22%). Immunologic treatment–related AEs included flu-like symptoms (12%) and fatigue (6%). Grade III treatment–related AEs included dysuria (3%) and hypotension (1.5%). There were no Grade IV/V treatment–related AEs.
This phase II study demonstrates that intravesical CG0070 yielded an overall 47% CR rate at 6 months for all patients and 50% for patients with CIS, with an acceptable level of toxicity for patients with high-risk BCG-unresponsive NMIBC. There is a particularly strong response and limited progression in patients with pure CIS.
•Overall 6-month complete response rate of 47% in patients with high-risk BCG-unresponsive NMIBC.•A 58% 6-month complete response in patients with pure CIS; 50% 6-month complete response for patients with CIS-containing tumors.•Overall toxicity was acceptably low.
Failure, intolerance, or shortage of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) treatment for patients with high-risk (HR) non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) leave many facing the prospect of radical ...cystectomy (RC). However, despite the lack of large-scale randomized controlled studies with single-agent intravesical gemcitabine (Gem), it has emerged as a popular salvage agent after BCG failure or even a treatment alternative to BCG.
1. Characterization of treatment regimen details pertaining to single-agent intravesical adjuvant Gem use among disease states of NMIBC characterized by risk and BCG exposure. 2. Comparison of safety and efficacy of Gem according to risk category, type of tumor (papillary vs. carcinoma in situ (CIS)), and tumor grades.
Two randomized studies in early BCG failure disease demonstrate that single-agent Gem has superior efficacy versus repeated BCG therapy or mitomycin C. Studies enrolling patients with predominantly papillary disease without CIS, intermediate-risk (IR) disease, and less BCG exposure appear to derive the highest benefits from adjuvant Gem in terms of recurrence and progression. However, studies with cohorts enriched for a predominance of CIS, HR disease and/or more extensive BCG failure have poorer 2-year recurrence free survival and a somewhat higher risk of progression and RC.
