Presenter: Shahrokh Shariat
Intravesical immunotherapy with Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is the main treatment for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), with proven effects on reducing recurrence, progression, and death from NMIBC. However, it is not effective in all patients, and recurrence after adequate BCG therapy can frequently lead to progression to more life-threatening disease.
In this presentation, I will discuss the new definition of BCG-unresponsive/refractory disease, that is, persistent high-grade disease at 6-12mo, despite an adequate course of induction and maintenance with BCG. I will also discuss the therapeutic landscape for these patients.
Although radical cystectomy is recommended, many patients decline to undergo or are ineligible to receive it. Multiple agents are being investigated for use in this patient population.
I will systematically synthesize and describe the efficacy and safety of current and emerging treatments for NMIBC patients after treatment with BCG.