Dr. Palmbos on Frontline Treatment Recommendations in Bladder Cancer

Phillip Palmbos, MD, PhD, assistant professor, University of Michigan Health, discusses updates and therapeutic recommendations for the frontline treatment of patients with bladder cancer.

Significant progress has been made in the treatment of this patient population over the past several years, with novel, effective agents becoming available, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and antibody-drug conjugates, according to Palmbos. For patients with metastatic disease in the frontline setting, those who are eligible should still receive cisplatin-based chemotherapy, Palmbos says.

Additionally, these patients can also move directly on to receive maintenance therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors, based on findings from the phase 3 JAVELIN Bladder 100 trial (NCT02603432), Palmbos adds.

There is opportunity for the use of adjuvant immunotherapy in eligible patients who have high-risk features after cystectomy, particularly those who are not candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy, Palmbos explains. These are positive developments that are applicable for the bladder cancer community, Palmbos concludes.