International Bladder Cancer Update Archives

Neoadjuvant/ Adjuvant Chemotherapy—Are We Ready to Accept Neoadjuvant as the Gold Standard?

Posted by Seth P. Lerner, MD, FACS | Mar 2018

Seth P. Lerner, MD, argues for adopting neoadjuvant chemotherapy as the standard of care for metastatic bladder cancer patients. Dr. Lerner believes the urological community needs to define a better range of risk-stratification and more accurate diagnostic methods in order to do this. He discusses current developments in prognostic biomarkers and expression subtypes that he believes will make these necessary improvements possible.

Basic Concepts in Bladder Cancer Immunotherapy

Posted by Leonard G. Gomella, MD, FACS | Mar 2018

Leonard G. Gomella, MD, FACS, reviews the basic scientific concepts of immunotherapy for bladder cancer, from why BCG is the “gold standard” of treatment and describing the mechanics of augmenting the immune system to eliminate tumor cells, to categorizing therapies into vaccine based, cytokines, monoclonal antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors, and CAR-T cells. He also explains why, generally, immunotherapy is particularly effective in the bladder cancer setting, as opposed to other cancers.

Basic Science Foundations of Bladder Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Posted by Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD | Mar 2018

Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, describes clinically relevant scientific concepts underlying bladder cancer biology and the technologies, including biomarkers, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PRC), and Western blots, that have enabled the formation of our knowledge today. He then explains how these concepts have and will be used in the clinical management of bladder cancer.

New Targets for the Treatment of Urothelial Cancer

Posted by Daniel P. Petrylak, MD | Mar 2018

Daniel P. Petrylak, MD, discusses recent advances and clinical trials for targeted checkpoint inhibition therapy in the setting of metastatic urothelial carcinoma.

Perioperative Pathways: What We Know Works

Posted by Peter Black, MD, FACS, FRCSC | Mar 2018

Peter Black, MD, FRCSC, provides an overview of the current Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol in the setting of radical cystectomy, recommendations from the ERAS Society, and how the practice increases bladder cancer patients’ quality of life. He also touches upon the possibility of adding alvimopan to ERAS protocol in the near future.