361
Views
1
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Review

Adjuvant immunotherapy for muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder

&
Pages 259-267 | Received 08 Dec 2021, Accepted 02 Feb 2022, Published online: 10 Feb 2022

References

  • Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network. Comprehensive molecular characterization of urothelial bladder carcinoma. Nature. 2014. p. 315–322. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12965
  • McGrail DJ, Pilié PG, Rashid NU, et al. High tumor mutation burden fails to predict immune checkpoint blockade response across all cancer types. Ann Oncol Off J Eur Soc Med Oncol. 2021;32:661–672.
  • Tanaka MF, Sonpavde G Diagnosis and management of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Postgrad Med. 2011;123:43–55.
  • Stein JP, Lieskovsky G, Cote R, et al. Radical cystectomy in the treatment of invasive bladder cancer: long-term results in 1,054 patients. J Clin Oncol Off J Am Soc Clin Oncol. 2001;19:666–675.
  • Grossman HB, Natale RB, Tangen CM, et al. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus cystectomy compared with cystectomy alone for locally advanced bladder cancer. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:859–866.
  • Advanced Bladder Cancer Meta-analysis Collaboration. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in invasive bladder cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2003;361:1927–1934.
  • Dash A, Galsky MD, Vickers AJ, et al. Impact of renal impairment on eligibility for adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Cancer. 2006;107:506–513.
  • Pal SK, Agarwal N, Grivas P, et al. Adjuvant chemotherapy for bladder cancer: using population-based data to fill a void of prospective evidence. J. Clin. Oncol. Off. J. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol. United States; 2016. p. 777–779. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2015.65.4368
  • Donat SM, Shabsigh A, Savage C, et al. Potential impact of postoperative early complications on the timing of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients undergoing radical cystectomy: a high-volume tertiary cancer center experience. Eur Urol. 2009;55:177–185.
  • Mollica V, Rizzo A, and Montironi R, et al. Current strategies and novel therapeutic approaches for metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Cancers (Basel). 2020;12(6):1449.
  • Rizzo A, Mollica V, Massari F Expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 as a predictive biomarker in metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients treated with first-line immune checkpoint inhibitors versus chemotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Urol Focus. 2021; DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euf.2021.01.003
  • Rouanne M, Bajorin DF, Hannan R, et al. Rationale and outcomes for neoadjuvant immunotherapy in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Eur Urol Oncol. 2020;3:728–738.
  • Food and Drug Administration. FDA approves nivolumab for adjuvant treatment of urothelial carcinoma [Internet]. 2021 cited 2021 Aug 25. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-approves-nivolumab-adjuvant-treatment-urothelial-carcinoma.
  • Vuky J, Balar AV, Castellano D, et al. Long-Term outcomes in KEYNOTE-052: phase II study investigating first-line pembrolizumab in cisplatin-ineligible patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer. J Clin Oncol Off J Am Soc Clin Oncol. 2020;38:2658–2666.
  • Balar AV, Galsky MD, Rosenberg JE, et al. Atezolizumab as first-line treatment in cisplatin-ineligible patients with locally advanced and metastatic urothelial carcinoma: a single-arm, multicentre, phase 2 trial. Lancet (London England). 2017;389:67–76.
  • Powles T, Csőszi T, Özgüroğlu M, et al. Pembrolizumab alone or combined with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy as first-line therapy for advanced urothelial carcinoma (KEYNOTE-361): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2021;22:931–945.
  • Galsky MD, Arija JÁA, Bamias A, et al. Atezolizumab with or without chemotherapy in metastatic urothelial cancer (IMvigor130): a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2020;395:1547–1557.
  • Powles T, Park SH, Voog E, et al. Avelumab maintenance therapy for advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. N Engl J Med. 2020;383:1218–1230.
  • Fradet Y, Bellmunt J, Vaughn DJ, et al. Randomized phase III KEYNOTE-045 trial of pembrolizumab versus paclitaxel, docetaxel, or vinflunine in recurrent advanced urothelial cancer: results of >2 years of follow-up. Ann Oncol Off J Eur Soc Med Oncol. 2019;30:970–976.
  • Sharma P, Retz M, Siefker-Radtke A, et al. Nivolumab in metastatic urothelial carcinoma after platinum therapy (CheckMate 275): a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2017;18:312–322.
  • Patel MR, Ellerton J, Infante JR, et al. Avelumab in metastatic urothelial carcinoma after platinum failure (JAVELIN Solid Tumor): pooled results from two expansion cohorts of an open-label, phase 1 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2018;19:51–64.
  • Bellmunt J, Théodore C, Demkov T, et al. Phase III trial of vinflunine plus best supportive care compared with best supportive care alone after a platinum-containing regimen in patients with advanced transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelial tract. J Clin Oncol Off J Am Soc Clin Oncol. 2009;27:4454–4461.
  • Powles T, van der Heijden MS, Castellano D, et al. Durvalumab alone and durvalumab plus tremelimumab versus chemotherapy in previously untreated patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (Danube): a randomised, open-label, multicentre, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol [Internet]. 2020;21:1574–1588. Available from:
  • Necchi A, Raggi D, Gallina A, et al. Updated results of PURE-01 with preliminary activity of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in patients with muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma with variant histologies. Eur Urol. 2020;77:439–446.
  • Powles T, Rodriguez-Vida A, Duran I, et al. A phase II study investigating the safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant atezolizumab in muscle invasive bladder cancer (ABACUS). J Clin Oncol [Internet]. 2018;36:4506. Available from:
  • van Dijk N, Gil-Jimenez A, Silina K, et al. Preoperative ipilimumab plus nivolumab in locoregionally advanced urothelial cancer: the NABUCCO trial. Nat Med. 2020;26:1839–1844.
  • Grande E, Guerrero F, Puente J, et al. DUTRENEO trial: a randomized phase II trial of DUrvalumab and TREmelimumab versus chemotherapy as a NEOadjuvant approach to muscle-invasive urothelial bladder cancer (MIBC) patients (pts) prospectively selected by an interferon (INF)-gamma immune signatur. J Clin Oncol [Internet]. 2020;38:5012. Available from:
  • Gao J, Navai N, Alhalabi O, et al. Neoadjuvant PD-L1 plus CTLA-4 blockade in patients with cisplatin-ineligible operable high-risk urothelial carcinoma. Nat Med. 2020;26:1845–1851.
  • Rodriguez-Moreno JF, de Velasco G, Bravo Fernandez I, et al. Impact of the combination of durvalumab (MEDI4736) plus olaparib (AZD2281) administered prior to surgery in the molecular profile of resectable urothelial bladder cancer: NEODURVARIB trial. J Clin Oncol [Internet]. 2020;38:542. Available from:
  • Hoimes CJ, Adra N, Fleming MT, et al. Phase Ib/II neoadjuvant (N-) pembrolizumab (P) and chemotherapy for locally advanced urothelial cancer (laUC): final results from the cisplatin (C)- eligible cohort of HCRN GU14-188. J Clin Oncol [Internet]. 2020;38:5047. Available from:
  • Gupta S, Sonpavde G, Weight CJ, et al. Results from BLASST-1 (Bladder Cancer Signal Seeking Trial) of nivolumab, gemcitabine, and cisplatin in muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) undergoing cystectomy. J Clin Oncol [Internet]. 2020;38:439. Available from:
  • Cathomas R, Petrausch U, Hayoz S, et al. Perioperative chemoimmunotherapy with durvalumab (Durva) in combination with cisplatin/gemcitabine (Cis/Gem) for operable muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma (MIUC): preplanned interim analysis of a single-arm phase II trial (SAKK 06/17). J Clin Oncol [Internet]. 2020;38:499. Available from:
  • NCCN Guidelines. Bladder Cancer [Internet]. NCCN Clin. Pract. Guidel. Oncol. 2021. Cited 2021 September 21. Available from: https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/bladder.pdf
  • Advanced Bladder Cancer (ABC) Meta-analysis Collaborators Group. Adjuvant chemotherapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data from randomised controlled trials. Eur Urol. 2022;81:50–61.
  • Zhegalik AG, Polyakov SL, Rolevich AI, et al. Long-term results of a single-center prospective randomized trial assessing efficacy of a shortened course of adjuvant chemotherapy after radical cystectomy in patients with locally advanced bladder cancer. Cent Eur J Urol. 2020;73:26–32.
  • Cognetti F, Ruggeri EM, Felici A, et al. Adjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin and gemcitabine versus chemotherapy at relapse in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer submitted to radical cystectomy: an Italian, multicenter, randomized phase III trial. Ann Oncol Off J Eur Soc Med Oncol. 2012;23:695–700.
  • Paz-Ares LG, Solsona E, Esteban E, et al. Randomized phase III trial comparing adjuvant paclitaxel/gemcitabine/cisplatin (PGC) to observation in patients with resected invasive bladder cancer: results of the Spanish Oncology Genitourinary Group (SOGUG) 99/01 study. J Clin Oncol [Internet]. 2010;28:LBA4518–LBA4518. Available from:
  • Sternberg CN, Skoneczna I, Kerst JM, et al. Immediate versus deferred chemotherapy after radical cystectomy in patients with pT3-pT4 or N+ M0 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (EORTC 30994): an intergroup, open-label, randomised phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2015;16:76–86.
  • Birtle AJ, Chester JD, Jones RJ, et al. Updated outcomes of POUT: a phase III randomized trial of peri-operative chemotherapy versus surveillance in upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC). J Clin Oncol [Internet]. 2021;39:455. Available from:
  • Lane G, Risk M, Fan Y, et al. Persistent muscle-invasive bladder cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy: an analysis of surveillance, epidemiology and end results-medicare data. BJU Int. 2019;123:818–825.
  • Galsky MD, Hahn NM, Rosenberg J, et al. A consensus definition of patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma who are unfit for cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Lancet Oncol. 2011;12:211–214.
  • Bajorin DF, Witjes JA, Gschwend JE, et al. Adjuvant nivolumab versus placebo in muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma. N Engl J Med. 2021;384:2102–2114.
  • Bellmunt J, Hussain M, Gschwend JE, et al. Adjuvant atezolizumab versus observation in muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma (IMvigor010): a multicentre, open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2021;22:525–537.
  • Powles T, Assaf ZJ, Davarpanah N, et al. ctDNA guiding adjuvant immunotherapy in urothelial carcinoma. Nature. 2021;595:432–437.
  • Christensen E, Birkenkamp-Demtröder K, Sethi H, et al. Early detection of metastatic relapse and monitoring of therapeutic efficacy by ultra-deep sequencing of plasma cell-free DNA in patients with urothelial bladder carcinoma. J Clin Oncol Off J Am Soc Clin Oncol. 2019;37:1547–1557.
  • A study of atezolizumab versus placebo as adjuvant therapy in patients with high-risk muscle-invasive bladder cancer who are ctDNA positive following cystectomy (IMvigor011) [Internet]. Cited 2021 September 21. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04660344.
  • Treatment of metastatic bladder cancer at the time of biochemical reLApse following radical cystectomy [Internet]. cited 2021 Sep 21. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04138628.
  • Testing MK-3475 (Pembrolizumab) After Surgery for Localized Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer and Locally Advanced Urothelial Cancer (AMBASSADOR) [Internet]. cited 2021 Aug 25. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03244384.
  • Laubach JP, Faber EAJ, Voorhees P, et al. The challenge of cross-trial comparisons using limited data. Haematologica. 2014. 145–146. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3324/haematol.2013.103135
  • Birtle A, Johnson M, Chester J, et al. Adjuvant chemotherapy in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (the POUT trial): a phase 3, open-label, randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2020;395:1268–1277.
  • Administration F and D. Nivolumab full prescribing information. [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2021 Aug 25]. p. 1–58. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2016/12555.
  • Kim HS, Jeong CW, Kwak C, et al. Disease-Free survival at 2 and 3 years is a significant early surrogate marker predicting the 5-year overall survival in patients treated with radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder: external evaluation and validation in a cohort of K. Front Oncol. 2015;5:246.
  • Shah SC, Kayamba V, and Peek RM, et al. Cancer control in low- and middle-income countries: is it time to consider screening?. J Glob Oncol [Internet]. 2019;5:1–8. Cited 2021 September 21. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30908147
  • Gyawali B, Bouche G, Crisp N, et al. Challenges and opportunities for cancer clinical trials in low- and middle-income countries. Nat Cancer [Internet]. 2020;1:142–145. Available from:
  • Tata memorial centre. Bladder Cancer Adjuvant Radiotherapy Trial (BART) [Internet]. cited 2021 Aug 25. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02951325.
  • QED Therapeutics I. Study of oral infigratinib for the adjuvant treatment of subjects with invasive urothelial carcinoma with susceptible FGFR3 genetic alterations [Internet]. cited 2021 Aug 25]. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04197986.
  • Daneshmand S, Grivas P, Sridhar SS, et al. PROOF 302: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III trial of infigratinib as adjuvant therapy in patients with invasive urothelial carcinoma harboring susceptible FGFR3 alterations. J Clin Oncol [Internet]. 2020;38:TPS5095. Available from:
  • Laukhtina E, Sari Motlagh R, Mori K, et al. Chemotherapy is superior to checkpoint inhibitors after radical surgery for urothelial carcinoma: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of oncologic and toxicity outcomes. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2022;169:103570.
  • Powles T, Meeks JJ, Galsky MD, et al. A phase III, randomized, open-label, multicenter, global study of efficacy and safety of durvalumab in combination with gemcitabine plus cisplatin for neoadjuvant treatment followed by durvalumab alone for adjuvant treatment in muscle-invasive bladder can. J Clin Oncol [Internet]. 2021;39:TPS505. Available from:
  • Siefker-Radtke AO, Steinberg GD, Bedke J, et al. Phase III study of perioperative pembrolizumab (pembro) plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy (chemo) versus placebo plus neoadjuvant chemo in cisplatin-eligible patients (pts) with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC): KEYNOTE-866. J Clin Oncol [Internet]. 2020;38:TPS599. Available from:
  • Hoimes CJ, Bedke J, Loriot Y, et al. KEYNOTE-B15/EV-304: randomized phase 3 study of perioperative enfortumab vedotin plus pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy in cisplatin-eligible patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). J Clin Oncol [Internet]. 2021;39:TPS4587. Available from:
  • Galsky MD, Necchi A, Shore ND, et al. KEYNOTE-905/EV-303: perioperative pembrolizumab or pembrolizumab plus enfortumab vedotin (EV) and cystectomy compared to cystectomy alone in cisplatin-ineligible patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). J Clin Oncol [Internet]. 2021;39:TPS507. Available from:
  • A study of nivolumab plus bempegaldesleukin (Bempeg/NKTR-214) vs nivolumab alone vs standard of care in participants with bladder cancer that has invaded the muscle wall of the bladder and who cannot get cisplatin, a type of medicine given to treat bladde [Internet]. cited 2021 Sep 21. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04209114?term=adjuvant+chemotherapy+immunotherapy&cond=Bladder+Cancer&draw=2&rank=11.
  • Sharma M, Khong H, Fa’ak F, et al. Bempegaldesleukin selectively depletes intratumoral Tregs and potentiates T cell-mediated cancer therapy. Nat Commun. 2020;11:661.
  • A study of chemo only versus chemo plus nivo with or without BMS-986205, followed by post- surgery therapy with nivo or nivo and BMS-986205 in patients with MIBC [Internet]. cited 2021 Sep 21. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03661320.
  • Tang K, Wu Y-H, Song Y, et al. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibitors in clinical trials for cancer immunotherapy. J Hematol Oncol [Internet]. 2021;14:68. Available from
  • Atezolizumab after chemo-radiotherapy for MIBC patients not eligible for radical cystectomy (BladderSpar) [Internet]. cited 2021 Sep 21]. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03697850?term=adjuvant+chemotherapy+immunotherapy&cond=Bladder+Cancer&draw=2&rank=10.
  • Intravesical recombinant BCG followed by perioperative chemo-immunotherapy for patients with MIBC [Internet]. cited 2021 Sep 21]. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04630730?term=adjuvant+chemotherapy+immunotherapy&cond=Bladder+Cancer&draw=2&rank=3.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.