Second-Line Conservative Device-Assisted Intravesical Treatment in Selected Patients With Recurrent High-Risk Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

[New therapeutic approaches for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer-is organ preservation also possible after BCG (Bacillus Calmette Guérin)?]

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy is the standard of care in the treatment of high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). In the absence of a response to BCG and persistent high-grade disease, cystectomy is recommended depending on the clinical risk. A variety of targeted therapy approaches, which aim at immune- and gene-based molecular targets, such as PD-(L)1 and FGFR, are currently being investigated in randomized studies for BCG-unresponsive NMIBC. Furthermore, novel forms of application for instillation therapy, such as the TAR device, in combination with gemcitabine or erdafitinib are being investigated in clinical trials in order to extend the duration of action of the active substance on the urothelium. Thus, there are now many developments that could make bladder-preserving therapy with comparable survival data possible as an alternative to BCG or in the event of BCG failure. In the future, it will be necessary to clarify how BCG response can be predicted by using molecular markers and how to define risk groups that should primarily be given an alternative therapy to BCG.

BCG and bladder cancer. Forty-eight years after Morales report

Although BCG use as an anticancer drug was nearly abandoned due to the poor results in most tumors, in 1976 Morales reported a relevant reduction in recurrence with intravesical BCG in few patients affected by NMIBC. Since then BCG was globally accepted as an empirical and effective therapy in treating Tis and preventing recurrence of intermediate and high risk NMIBC. Forty-eight years after Morales' report, although some open questions remain object of debate, we have been able to find answers to many doubts improving BCG activity and toxicity. We better select patients undergoing BCG and many trials have indicated the best dosage and schedule. Moreover, we are able to better identify the patient unresponsive to BCG who might benefit of a timely radical cystectomy. We are also aware of the difficulties and toxicities that can be encountered with BCG use in every-day clinical practice. Research is ongoing to obtain genetically modified BCG to increase its efficacy and reduce toxicity. Moreover, the combination of BCG with other immunotherapeutic drugs given intravesically or systemically, first immune checkpoint inhibitors, is under study to obtain a response in patients unresponsive or intolerant to BCG. Almost 50 years after Morales publication, intravesical BCG remains an inalienable tool against NMIBC.

Electromotive Drug Administration Chemotherapy with Mitomycin C Versus Bacillus Calmette-Guerin for the Treatment of Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

BACKGROUND

Devices that increase the penetrance of intravesical chemotherapeutics are emerging as alternatives to classical Bacillus Calmette Guérin (BCG) treatment.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the efficacy of mitomycin C applied with the electromotive drug delivery device (MMC-EMDA) versus BCG in patients with intermediate and high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) without carcinoma in situ (CIS).

METHODS

Prospective non-randomized study in which 47 patients received MMC-EMDA (40 mg of MMC diluted in 50 mg of distilled water at 20 mA for 30 min. Regimen of 6 weekly and then 6 monthly instillations) and 48 patients received BCG (50 mg of OncoCITE® diluted in 50 ml of normal saline for 60 min. Regimen of 6 weekly instillations and then 3 weekly instillations at months 3, 6 and 12). The primary endpoint was the recurrence-free rate (RFR) at 24 months. Secondary endpoints were time to recurrence and progression-free rate (PFR) at 24 months follow-up.

RESULTS

Baseline patient assessment and mean follow-up time were similar in both groups (MMC-EMDA group: 26.4 months; BCG group: 28.4 months (p = 0.44)). The RFR at 24 months was 80.9% for the MMC-EMDA group and 77.1% for the BCG group (p = 0.969). The mean time to recurrence was 12.5 months in the MMC-EMDA group and 14 months in the BCG group (p = 0.681). At 24 months, PFR was 97.9% in the MMC-EMDA group and 93.8% in the BCG group (p = 0.419).

CONCLUSIONS

No differences were found between MMC-EMDA and BCG treatments in patients with high-risk and intermediate-risk NMIBC without CIS.

Conservative treatment for high-risk NMIBC failing BCG treatment: who benefits from adding electromotive drug administration (EMDA) of mitomycin C (MMC) to a second BCG induction cycle?

Purpose

Radical cystectomy (RC) is the standard treatment for high-risk non muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) failing first BCG treatment. A second BCG course is an option for those patients who refuse RC or are not eligible for it, but its success rate is quite low. Aim of the present study was to determine whether the addition of intravesical electromotive drug administration of mytomicin-C (EMDA-MMC) improved the efficacy of second BCG course.

Methods

Patients with high-risk NMIBC having failed first BCG treatment and having refused RC were offered a second BCG induction course either alone (group A) or combined with EMDA-MMC (group B). Recurrence-free survival (RFS), progression-free survival (PFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were tested.

Results

Of the 80 evaluable patients, 44 were in group A and 36 in group B; median follow-up was 38 months. RFS was significantly worse in group A whereas there was no difference in PFS and CSS between the two groups. Stratifying by disease stage, Ta patients receiving combined treatment had statistically better RFS and PFS survival than those receiving BCG only; this difference did not apply to T1 patients. Multivariable analysis confirmed that combined treatment was a significant predictor of recurrence and was close to predict progression. No tested variable was predictive of recurrence or progression in T1 tumours. Among those who underwent RC, CSS was 61.5% in those who had progression and 100% in those who remained with NMIBC.

Conclusion

Combined treatment improved RFS and PFS only in patients with Ta disease.

Conductive hyperthermic chemotherapy versus electromotive drug administration of mitomycin C as intravesical adjuvant treatment of patients with intermediate or high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

BACKGROUND

Devices that increase the penetration of intravesical chemotherapeutic agents have been developed as alternatives to the use of bacillus Calmette-Guérin, in short supply at a time of increasing global incidence of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). We performed a prospective observational study to compare 2 of these devices in the treatment of patients with high- and intermediate-risk NMIBC. The primary endpoint was the recurrence-free rate. Secondary endpoints were the rate of progression and adverse events.

METHODS

After undergoing transurethral bladder resection, 98 patients were selected to receive 1 of 2 treatments: hyperthermic intravesical chemotherapy (HIVEC) treatment with 40 mg of mitomycin C (MMC) using Combat BRS System V2.0 at 43 ± 0.5°C and 200 ml/min for 60 minutes (56 patients) or electromotive drug administration (EMDA) with 40 mg of MMC at 20 mA for 30 minutes (42 patients). The treatment schemes were similar: 6 weekly instillations as induction and 6-monthly instillations as maintenance. The recurrence rates were evaluated at 6 and 12 months and the progression rates at 12 months.

RESULTS

The recurrence-free rate at 12 months was 91,1% in the HIVEC group and 88.1% in the EMDA group (P ≥ 0.05). After the 12-month follow-up, only 1 progression occurred in each treatment group. In terms of adverse events, no significant differences were found between the treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

HIVEC and EMDA techniques are comparable in terms of recurrence, progression and adverse events at 12 months in the treatment of patients with high- and intermediate-risk NMIBC.

A systematic review on the available treatment modalities for Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-unresponsive carcinoma in situ and tumors in patients who are ineligible for or decline radical cystectomy

Introduction

Globally, urothelial bladder carcinoma is a disease which carries a poor prognosis. There are various treatment modalities for urothelial bladder carcinoma with intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunotherapy being the most efficacious intravesical therapy and the treatment of choice for patients with carcinoma in situ. A number of chemotherapeutic drugs are also available for the management of Ta/T1 tumors such as mitomycin C and epirubicin. However, relapse and progression is quite common. The optimal management of patients with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-unresponsive disease remains to be a challenge. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review on the treatment modalities available for the management of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-unresponsive carcinoma in situ and urothelial bladder carcinoma in patients who are ineligible or decline radical cystectomy.

Methods

Two authors independently searched three databases on the treatment modalities available for the management of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-unresponsive carcinoma in situ and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-unresponsive urothelial bladder carcinoma.

Results

The systematic search resulted in 15 studies. We recommend the use of intravesical CG0070 adenovirus or hyperthermic intravesical chemotherapy mitomycin C in patients with carcinoma in situ only disease. In patients with carcinoma in situ ± Ta/T1 disease, we recommend the use of intravesical radiofrequency-induced chemohyperthermia or electromotive drug administration of mitomycin C. In patients who have Ta/T1 disease, we recommend the use of either hyperthermic intravesical chemotherapy epirubicin or electromotive drug administration mitomycin C followed by chemohyperthermia mitomycin C. If any of these second line therapies fail, an alternative regimen would be a combination of gemcitabine, cabazitaxel, and cisplatin.

Conclusion

This recommendation is subject to the available resources and clinical expertise available in different hospitals. More studies using study designs such as randomized controlled trials comparing multiple drugs with larger sample sizes and regular follow-up intervals should be performed to accurately assess the different medications and aid in designing guidelines to guide the management of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-unresponsive non-muscle invasive intravesical bladder cancer.

A systematic review of the efficacy of intravesical electromotive drug administration therapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

BACKGROUND

Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is characterized by a high rate of recurrence and progression, despite surgery and adjuvant therapies.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the published results on the effectiveness of mitomycin C (MMC) applied with an electromotive drug administration device (EMDA) in the treatment of patients with non-muscle invasive bladder tumors.

METHOD

A systematic review was conducted using the PubMed and Google Scholar search platforms. We selected the studies that included the recurrence and/or progression rates or complete response rate in patients diagnosed with NMIBC according to their treatment and included MMC applied with EMDA. The last search was performed in November 2021.

RESULTS

The search yielded 64 articles; 11 articles met the selection criteria. In two of the 11 selected articles, mitomycin C was applied with an EMDA device (MMC-EMDA) as an ablative treatment, avoiding surgery in 50% of the patients. In 1 of the 11 studies, the application of MMC-EMDA was used as an induction treatment using a single preoperative instillation with promising results. In the remaining 8 studies, adjuvant MMC was applied with the EMDA device; in 3 of these 8 cases, treatment with MMC-EMDA alone was applied initially. In another3 cases the same treatment was applied after nonresponse to bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG), and in the last 2 studies, MMC-EMDA was applied in combination with the classic therapy (BCG). All the studies selected supported the efficacy and safety of MMC-EMDA in patients with intermediate and high- risk bladder cancer. In 3 studies, adjuvant therapy with MMC-EMDA was performed in nonresponders to BCG, finding that adjuvant therapy with MMC-EMDA applied to BCG nonresponders without CIS avoided or delayed surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of EMDA-enhanced MMC has been studied at different times of disease and with different administration protocols. It appears to delay bladder tumor recurrence and progression in certain populations. However, the methodological limitations of the published studies prevent definitive conclusions about its efficacy.

Device-assisted intravesical chemotherapy treatment for nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer: 2022 update

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To critically analyze the oncological outcomes and safety profile of device-assisted intravesical chemotherapy studies reported in 2021. Studies were considered eligible if they included patients with nonmuscle invasive blood cancer (NMIBC), had a prospective or retrospective design, included at least 10 patients, were published in 2021, and assessed the oncological impact of device-assisted intravesical chemotherapy and/or reported standardized adverse effects (AEs).

RECENT FINDINGS

Eight new studies reported oncological outcomes after hyperthermic intravesical chemotherapy (HIVEC). In Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) naive patients, the reported 2-yr. recurrence-free survival (RFS) ranged from 70.7% to 82.4%, with one study reporting 2 yr. progression free survival (PFS) of 92%. In both BCG naive and BCG refractory patients, the reported 1-yr. RFS ranged from 60.5% to 70% and PFS was 94% in one study. For radiofrequency-induced HIVEC, the reported 5-yr. estimates were 38%for RFS and 91.5%for PFS. Regarding AEs, 10.2% of patients had severe AEs. Six studies reported AEs after HIVEC; the majorities were grade 1-2 AEs.

SUMMARY

Data coming from the studies published in the last years provides support for a consolidating role of device-assisted intravesical chemotherapy as a safe and effective alternative first- or second-line adjuvant treatment of patients with NMIBC.