Soria, Francesco

Objective To validate International Bladder Cancer Group (IBCG) definitions of Bacillus Calmette‐Guérin (BCG)‐unresponsive and BCG‐exposed non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and assess prognostic heterogeneity across various BCG‐failure types. Patients and Methods From a multicentre international cohort of 3806 BCG‐treated patients, 591 who developed high‐grade NMIBC recurrence following BCG between 2003 and 2024 were included. Progression‐free survival (PFS) was the primary endpoint; cancer‐specific (CSM) and overall mortality (OM) were secondary endpoints. Cumulative incidence functions, competing‐risk models and multivariable Cox regression were used. Results Patients with BCG‐unresponsive and BCG‐exposed disease showed similar PFS, CSM, and OM (all P > 0.05). When stratified into five subgroups, prognosis varied: 5‐year progression rates were 29% for BCG‐unresponsive, 32.5% for late relapse (between 6 and 24 months) after adequate BCG, 30% for BCG‐exposed with inadequate BCG (<24 months from induction), 6.2% for BCG‐resistant, and 14% for very late relapse (>24 months since last BCG) ( P < 0.01). In multivariable analysis, BCG‐exposed after inadequate BCG (subdistribution hazard ratio [sHR] 3.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33–8.84), late relapse (sHR 3.74, 95% CI 1.59–8.78), and BCG‐unresponsive (sHR 2.34, 95% CI 1.00–5.44) were associated with higher progression risks compared to very late relapse. Limitations include retrospective design and treatment heterogeneity. Conclusions Under IBCG definitions, BCG‐unresponsive and BCG‐exposed NMIBC have similarly poor outcomes. A refined classification reveals prognostic heterogeneity, with late relapses after adequate BCG demonstrating outcomes comparable to BCG‐unresponsive, and very late relapses conferring better prognosis.

475 Background: Emerging evidence supports use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) prior to radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for appropriately selected patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). However, oncologic outcomes have not been well characterized for patients with residual muscle-invasive disease after NAC. Methods: We used a multi-institutional cohort from 24 centers in the U.S., Europe, and Japan to retrospectively identify patients who underwent RNU for UTUC from 1985-2022 and had high-grade muscle-invasive disease. We stratified the cohort based on receipt of NAC (>ypT2 vs. >pT2). Exclusion criteria included receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy, concurrent cystectomy with RNU, and distant metastatic disease. Baseline characteristics were compared between groups. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log-rank test was used to compare differences in recurrence-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Multivariable Cox regression and Fine-Gray competing risk regression were used to determine predictors of these outcomes. Results: A total of 1,233 patients were included, 62 of whom received NAC prior to RNU. A platinum-based regimen was used in 90% of NAC recipients, and the median number of cycles administered was 4 (IQR: 3-5). Median follow-up time among all patients was 22 months (IQR: 8-47 mo.). NAC recipients were more likely to have pathologic node positivity (35% vs. 13%) and less likely to have positive tumor margins (8% vs. 28%). On Kaplan-Meier analysis, NAC recipients with residual >ypT2 disease had poorer outcomes than those with >pT2 disease (2-year RFS [NAC vs. no NAC]: 52% vs. 80%, p<0.001; 2-year OS: 60% vs. 78%, p=0.003; 2-year CSS: 61% vs. 86%, p<0.001). Multivariable analyses also showed a statistically significant association between residual muscle-invasive disease after NAC and poorer RFS, OS, and CSS (Table). Conclusions: NAC recipients with >ypT2 disease at RNU after exhibit poorer outcomes than stage-matched chemotherapy naïve counterparts. This may reflect effects of occult micrometastatic disease or chemoresistant primary tumors in non-responders. Our data highlight the need to improve prospective identification of candidates most likely to respond to NAC prior to RNU for UTUC in order to maximize its therapeutic benefit. [Table: see text]

Objectives: To identify correlates of survival and perioperative outcomes of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) patients undergoing open (ORNU), laparoscopic (LRNU), and robotic (RRNU) radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). Methods: We conducted a retrospective, multicenter study that included non-metastatic UTUC patients who underwent RNU between 1990–2020. Multiple imputation by chained equations was used to impute missing data. Patients were divided into three groups based on their surgical treatment and were adjusted by 1:1:1 propensity score matching (PSM). Survival outcomes per group were estimated for recurrence-free survival (RFS), bladder recurrence-free survival (BRFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS). Perioperative outcomes: Intraoperative blood loss, hospital length of stay (LOS), and overall (OPC) and major postoperative complications (MPCs; defined as Clavien–Dindo > 3) were assessed between groups. Results: Of the 2434 patients included, 756 remained after PSM with 252 in each group. The three groups had similar baseline clinicopathological characteristics. The median follow-up was 32 months. Kaplan–Meier and log-rank tests demonstrated similar RFS, CSS, and OS between groups. BRFS was found to be superior with ORNU. Using multivariable regression analyses, LRNU and RRNU were independently associated with worse BRFS (HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.22–2.28, p = 0.001 and HR 1.73, 95%CI 1.22–2.47, p = 0.002, respectively). LRNU and RRNU were associated with a significantly shorter LOS (beta −1.1, 95% CI −2.2–0.02, p = 0.047 and beta −6.1, 95% CI −7.2–5.0, p < 0.001, respectively) and fewer MPCs (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.31–0.79, p = 0.003 and OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.16–0.46, p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: In this large international cohort, we demonstrated similar RFS, CSS, and OS among ORNU, LRNU, and RRNU. However, LRNU and RRNU were associated with significantly worse BRFS, but a shorter LOS and fewer MPCs.

Background: Measuring quality of care indicators is important for clinicians and decision making in health care to improve patient outcomes. Objective: The primary objective was to identify quality of care indicators for patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and to validate these in an international cohort treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). The secondary objective was to assess the factors associated with failure to validate the pentafecta. Design: We performed a retrospective multicenter study of patients treated with RNU for EAU high-risk (HR) UTUC. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: Five quality indicators were consensually approved, including a negative surgical margin, a complete bladder-cuff resection, the absence of hematological complications, the absence of major complications, and the absence of a 12-month postoperative recurrence. After multiple imputations and propensity-score matching, log-rank tests and a Cox regression were used to assess the survival outcomes. Logistic regression analyses assessed predictors for pentafecta failure. Results: Among the 1718 included patients, 844 (49%) achieved the pentafecta. The median follow-up was 31 months. Patients who achieved the pentafecta had superior 5-year overall- (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) compared to those who did not (68.7 vs. 50.1% and 79.8 vs. 62.7%, respectively, all p < 0.001). On multivariable analyses, achieving the pentafecta was associated with improved recurrence-free survival (RFS), CSS, and OS. No preoperative clinical factors predicted a failure to validate the pentafecta. Conclusions: Establishing quality indicators for UTUC may help define prognosis and improve patient care. We propose a pentafecta quality criteria in RNU patients. Approximately half of the patients evaluated herein reached this endpoint, which in turn was independently associated with survival outcomes. Extended validation is needed.

Background: To assess the differential effect of robotic assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) versus open radical cystectomy (ORC) on survival outcomes in matched analyses performed on a large multicentric cohort. Methods: The study included 9757 patients with urothelial bladder cancer (BCa) treated in a consecutive manner at each of 25 institutions. All patients underwent radical cystectomy with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy. To adjust for potential selection bias, propensity score matching 2:1 was performed with two ORC patients matched to one RARC patient. The propensity-matched cohort included 1374 patients. Multivariable competing risk analyses accounting for death of other causes, tested association of surgical technique with recurrence and cancer specific mortality (CSM), before and after propensity score matching. Results: Overall, 767 (7.8%) patients underwent RARC and 8990 (92.2%) ORC. The median follow-up before and after propensity matching was 81 and 102 months, respectively. In the overall population, the 3-year recurrence rates and CSM were 37% vs. 26% and 34% vs. 24% for ORC vs. RARC (all p values > 0.1), respectively. On multivariable Cox regression analyses, RARC and ORC had similar recurrence and CSM rates before and after matching (all p values > 0.1). Conclusions: Patients treated with RARC and ORC have similar survival outcomes. This data is helpful in consulting patients until long term survival outcomes of level one evidence is available.