Dr. Gomella on Ongoing Trials of Immunotherapy in Bladder Cancer

Leonard Gomella, MD, professor, chair, Department of Urology, director, Kimmel Cancer Center Network, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, discusses ongoing trials of immunotherapy for patients with bladder cancer.

Many of the bladder cancer immunotherapy trials are designed to focus on recurrence of systemic disease and to look at the disease outside of the bladder. Those are the most mature trials and are leading to many of the FDA approvals.

However, we’re in a new phase where many of the new agents are being used to treat superficial disease inside the bladder. In the next 2 to 3 years, trials will be focused on determining if the systemic agents can treat bladder cancer that has not yet invaded the bladder wall.