Dr. Schmid on the Use of Preoperative Radiation Therapy in Urothelial Carcinoma

Sebastian C. Schmid, MD, oncologist, Rechts der Isar Medical Center, Technical University of Munich, Germany, discusses the use of preoperative radiation therapy plus immunotherapy in urothelial carcinoma.

Preoperative radiation therapy plus nivolumab (Opdivo) prior to radical cystectomy was evaluated in the phase 2 RACE IT trial (NCT03529890) in patients with locally advanced urothelial carcinoma.

Findings from this study showed that the effectiveness of radioimmunotherapy is independent of kidney function, which is notable for patients with urothelial carcinoma since many experience kidney problems, Schmid explains.

The next step in researching the efficacy of radioimmunotherapy in this patient population will involve comparing the combination to immunotherapy alone, Schmid says. Prospective phase 3 trials are needed to further understand how the treatments compare, Schmid concludes.