Karine Tawagi, MD: Adding Immunotherapy to BCG in the Treatment of NMIBC

Dr. Tawagi describes why Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) treatment alone may not be enough for patients with high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). She discusses the recent approval of durvalumab plus BCG induction and maintenance in patients with BCG-naive, high-risk NMIBC, highlighting key outcomes from the POTOMAC trial. Finally, she explains which patients are the best fit for this treatment regimen.

Topics covered:

Why BCG alone is not enough for patients with high-risk NMIBC
Efficacy and safety of durvalumab plus BCG induction and maintenance in high-risk NMIBC
Which patients should be considered for treatment with the POTOMAC regimen

MORE EXPERT PERSPECTIVES IN BLADDER CANCERS:

Matthew Galsky, MD: Unmet Needs and Recent Developments in High-Risk NMIBC

Dr. Galsky discusses unmet needs for patients with high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). He provides an overview of treatment developments, including the recent approval of durvalumab plus Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) induction and maintenance on the basis of the POTOMAC trial.

Gautam Jayram, MD: NIAGARA Trial Data Signal Survival Gains in Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: Urologist’s POV

Dr. Gautam Jayram highlights how adding durvalumab to standard gemcitabine–cisplatin chemotherapy in the NIAGARA trial improves event-free and overall survival without significantly increasing toxicity, reinforcing the value of a perioperative “sandwich” approach. He emphasizes the need to address ongoing undertreatment in community settings and advocates for a multidisciplinary strategy to optimize outcomes in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Petros Grivas, MD, PhD: Overview of NIAGARA Trial Data for Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Petros Grivas, MD, PhD, of the University of Washington and Fred Hutch Cancer Center, reviewed the data from the Phase 3 NIAGARA trial, which demonstrated that adding durvalumab to neoadjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) chemotherapy, followed by adjuvant durvalumab, significantly prolonged event-free and overall survival in cisplatin-eligible patients with localized muscle invasive bladder cancer.