Assessment of the oncological outcomes of three different bacillus Calmette-Guérin strains in patients with high-grade T1 non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Cost-utility of Initial Management of High-grade T1 Bladder Cancer With Intravesical BCG vs Immediate Radical Cystectomy

OBJECTIVE

To compare the cost-utility of initial management of high-grade T1 non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (HGT1 NMIBC) with intravesical BCG vs immediate radical cystectomy. High-risk NMIBC patients may climb a costly ladder of treatments, culminating in radical cystectomy for oncologic or symptomatic benefit in up to one-third. This high healthcare resource utilization presents a challenging dilemma in balancing sufficiently aggressive management with cost, toxicity, and quality-of-life.

METHODS

Cost-utility of initially managing HGT1 with intravesical BCG and early radical cystectomy with ileal conduit urinary diversion was compared using decision-analytic Markov models. Five-year oncologic outcomes, adverse event rates, and published utility values were extracted from literature. Costs were calculated from a US Medicare perspective in 2021 US dollars. Sensitivity analysis identified drivers of cost and break-even points for recurrence and progression.

RESULTS

Mean costs were $26,093 for intravesical BCG and $39,720 for immediate radical cystectomy, though cystectomy generated a gain of 2.2 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) compared to intravesical BCG. Immediate cystectomy was a more cost-effective management strategy for HGT1 NMIBC with an incremental CE ratios (ICER) of $7120/QALY. The costs associated with cystectomy, TURBT, and BCG toxicity had the greatest impact on ICER. One-way sensitivity analysis demonstrated that intravesical BCG became a cost-effective management strategy if the 5-year recurrence rate of HG T1 was less than 56% or the 5-year progression rate to MIBC was less than 4%.

CONCLUSION

At current prices, treatment of high-grade T1 NMIBC with early radical cystectomy is more cost-effective management strategy than initial treatment with intravesical BCG.

Carcinoma In Situ (CIS): Is There a Difference in Efficacy between Various BCG Strains? A Comprehensive Review of the Literature

Introduction: Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy is the standard of care for high-risk and intermediate-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) as well as for Carcinoma in situ (CIS). Evidence supports that the different BCG strains, despite genetic variability, are equally effective clinically for preventing the recurrence and progression of papillary NMIBC. The available evidence regarding possible differences in clinical efficacy between various BCG strains in CIS is lacking. Methods: We reviewed the literature on the efficacy of different BCG strains in patients with CIS (whether primary, secondary, concomitant, or unifocal/multifocal), including randomized clinical trials (RCTs), phase II/prospective trials, and retrospective studies with complete response rates (CRR), recurrence-free survival (RFS), or progression-free survival (PFS) as endpoints. Results: In most studies, being RCTs, phase II prospective trials, or retrospective studies, genetic differences between BCG strains did not translate into meaningful differences in clinical efficacy against CIS, regardless of the CIS subset (primary, secondary, or concurrent) or CIS focality (unifocal or multifocal). CRR, RFS, and PFS were not statistically different between various BCG strains. None of these trials were designed as head-to-head comparisons between BCG strains focusing specifically on CIS. Limitations include the small sample size of many studies and most comparisons between strains being indirect rather than head-to-head. Conclusions: This review suggests that the clinical efficacy of the various BCG strains appears similar, irrespective of CIS characteristics. However, based on the weak level of evidence available and underpowered studies, randomized studies in this space should be encouraged as no definitive conclusion can be drawn at this stage.

The impact of smoking on recurrence and progression of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Although smoking is a well-recognized causative factor of urothelial bladder cancer and accounts for 50% of cases, less is known about the prognostic significance of smoking on non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) prognosis. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effect of smoking on the risk of NMIBC recurrence and progression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We systematically searched Medline, Web of Science and Scopus databases for original articles published before October 2021 regarding the effect of smoking on NMIBC recurrence and progression. Information about smoking status and the number of events or odds ratio or hazard ratio for event-free survival must have been reported to include the study in the analysis. Quality In Prognosis Studies tool was utilized for the risk of bias assessment.

RESULTS

We selected 64 eligible studies, including 28 617 patients with NMIBC with available data on smoking status. In a meta-analysis of 28 studies with 7885 patients, we found that smokers (current/former) were at higher risk for recurrence (OR = 1.68; 95% CI 1.34-2.09; P < 0.0001) compared to never smokers. Subgroup analysis of 2967 patients revealed that current smokers were at a 1.24 higher risk of recurrence (OR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.02-1.50; P = 0.03) compared to former smokers. A meta-analysis of the hazard ratio revealed that smokers are at higher risk of recurrence (HR = 1.31; 95%CI 1.15-1.48; P < 0.0001) and progression (HR = 1.18; 95%CI 1.08-1.29; P < 0.001) compared to never smokers. Detrimental prognostic effect of smoking on progression, but not for recurrence risk was also noted in the subgroup analysis of high-risk patients (HR = 1.30; 95%CI 1.09-1.55; P = 0.004) and BCG-treated ones (HR = 1.15; 95%CI 1.06-1.25; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and a history of smoking have a worse prognosis regarding recurrence-free and progression-free survival compared to non-smokers.

Efficacy of Different Bacillus of Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Strains on Recurrence Rates among Intermediate/High-Risk Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancers (NMIBCs): Single-Arm Study Systematic Review, Cumulative and Network Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

In an era of Bacillus of Calmette-Guérin (BCG) shortages, the comparative efficacy from different adjuvant intravesical BCG strains in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) has not been clearly elucidated. We aim to compare, through a systematic review and meta-analysis, the cumulative BC recurrence rates and the best efficacy profile of worldwide available BCG strains over the last forty years.

METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched from 1982 up to 2022. A meta-analysis of pooled BC recurrence rates was stratified for studies with ≤3-y vs. >3-y recurrence-free survival (RFS) endpoints and the strain of BCG. Sensitivity analysis, sub-group analysis, and meta-regression were implemented to investigate the contribution of moderators to heterogeneity. A random-effect network meta-analysis was performed to compare BCG strains on a multi-treatment level.

RESULTS

In total, n = 62 series with n = 15,412 patients in n = 100 study arms and n = 10 different BCG strains were reviewed. BCG Tokyo 172 exhibited the lowest pooled BC recurrence rate among studies with ≤3-y RFS (0.22 (95%CI 0.16-0.28). No clinically relevant difference was noted among strains at >3-y RFS outcomes. Sub-group and meta-regression analyses highlighted the influence of NMIBC risk-group classification and previous intravesical treated categories. Out of the n = 11 studies with n = 7 BCG strains included in the network, BCG RIVM, Tice, and Tokyo 172 presented with the best-predicted probability for efficacy, yet no single strain was significantly superior to another in preventing BC recurrence risk.

CONCLUSION

We did not identify a BCG stain providing a clinically significant lower BC recurrence rate. While these findings might discourage investment in future head-to-head randomized comparison, we were, however, able to highlight some potential enhanced benefits from the genetically different BCG RIVM, Tice, and Tokyo 172. This evidence would support the use of such strains for future BCG trials in NMIBCs.

Combined Modality Bladder-Sparing Therapy for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: How (Should) We Do It? A Narrative Review

Organ-sparing combined-modality treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer remains underutilized despite high-quality evidence regarding its efficacy, safety, and preservation of quality of life. It may be offered to patients unwilling to undergo radical cystectomy, as well as those unfit for neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery. The treatment plan should be tailored to each patient's characteristics, with more intensive protocols offered to patients who are fit for surgery but opt for organ-sparing. After a thorough, debulking transurethral resection of the tumor and neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the response evaluation should trigger further management with either chemoradiation or early cystectomy in non-responders. A hypofractionated, continuous radiotherapy regimen of 55 Gy in 20 fractions with concurrent radiosensitizing chemotherapy with gemcitabine, cisplatin, or 5-fluorouracil and mitomycin C is currently preferred based on clinical trials. The response should be evaluated with repeated transurethral resections of the tumor bed and abdominopelvic-computed tomography after chemoradiation, with quarterly assessments during the first year. Salvage cystectomy should be offered to patients fit for surgery who failed to respond to treatment or developed a muscle-invasive recurrence. Non-muscle-invasive bladder recurrences and upper tract tumors should be treated in line with guidelines for respective primary tumors. Multiparametric magnetic resonance can be used for tumor staging and response monitoring, as it may distinguish disease recurrence from treatment-induced inflammation and fibrosis.

Compared Efficacy of Adjuvant Intravesical BCG-TICE vs. BCG-RIVM for High-Risk Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC): A Propensity Score Matched Analysis

BACKGROUND

Intravesical immunotherapy with bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is the standard therapy for high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The superiority of any BCG strain over another could not be demonstrated yet.

METHODS

Patients with NMIBCs underwent adjuvant induction ± maintenance schedule of intravesical immunotherapy with either BCG TICE or RIVM at two high-volume tertiary institutions. Only BCG-naïve patients and those treated with the same strain over the course of follow-up were included. One-to-one (1:1) propensity score matching (PSM) between the two cohorts was utilized to adjust for baseline demographic and tumor characteristics imbalances. Kaplan-Meier estimates and multivariable Cox regression models according to high-risk NMIBC prognostic factors were implemented to address survival differences between the strains. Sub-group analysis modeling of the influence of routine secondary resection (re-TUR) in the setting of the sole maintenance adjuvant schedule for the two strains was further performed.

RESULTS

852 Ta-T1 NMIBCs (n = 719, 84.4% on TICE; n = 133, 15.6% on RIVM) with a median of 53 (24-77) months of follow-up were reviewed. After PSM, no differences at 5-years RFS, PFS, and CSS at both Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were detected for the whole cohort. In the sub-group setting of full adherence to European/American Urology Guidelines (EAU/NCCN), BCG TICE demonstrated longer 5-years RFS compared to RIVM (68% vs. 43%, p = 0.008; HR: 0.45 95% CI 0.25-0.81).

CONCLUSION

When routinely performing re-TUR followed by a maintenance BCG schedule, TICE was superior to RIVM for RFS outcomes. However, no significant differences were detected for PFS and CSS, respectively.