SWOG 2427: Single arm phase II study of bladder preservation with immunoradiotherapy after a clinically meaningful response to neoadjuvant therapy in patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer (BRIGHT).
TPS913 Background: A subset of patients with MIBC who receive neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) prior to radical cystectomy (RC) have a pathologic complete response (pCR) at the time of RC. With pCR rates of 22-42% in patients with MIBC following NAT (+/- ICI), whether a subset of patients with good clinical response to NAT can avoid RC is an important unanswered question, especially with the development of more active systemic therapies. HCRN 16-257 evaluated maintenance nivolumab in lieu of cystectomy in patients with MIBC who experienced clinical complete response (cCR) following neoadjuvant GC and nivolumab. The cCR rate was 48%, but 8/33 (24%) patients who elected bladder preservation subsequently underwent cystectomy for local disease recurrence. The RETAIN trial also evaluated omission of local therapy following neoadjuvant therapy with a 2-year bladder preservation rate in patients with ≤T1 disease following NAC of 54% (22/41). Of the 9/25 (36%) patients on that trial developed metastatic disease, 8/9 developed localized disease before metastasizing. These data illustrate the critical role that local therapy plays in patients with MIBC. For this reason, we believe that radiotherapy to the bladder combined with ICI will improve bladder intact event-free survival (BI-EFS). This trial also allows for patients to opt for bladder preservation based on a good clinical response to NAT. Methods: This is a single arm, phase 2 trial (NCT07061964) evaluating risk-adapted bladder preservation therapy for patients with MIBC following NAT. NAT consists of any NCCN guideline concordant therapy for MIBC. Patients with cT2-T4aN0M0 MIBC who complete NAT will be eligible if they have ≤T1 disease on post-NAT TURBT, confirmed by biopsies of prior tumor sites and systematic sampling (left/right lateral walls, dome, posterior wall, trigone). Patients will receive 55 Gray (Gy) in 20 fractions of radiotherapy (RT) to the bladder with 1 year of pembrolizumab. The primary objective is to evaluate whether 3-year BI-EFS is at least 70% in participants with < = T1 (without multifocal CIS) following NAT and RT with 1 year of pembrolizumab. Secondary objectives include local muscle invasive recurrence-free survival, metastasis-free survival (MFS), overall survival (OS), the rate of salvage cystectomy, and evaluation of the frequency and severity of toxicities in participants who receive RT and pembrolizumab. Plasma and urine will be banked for future correlative studies. S2427 was activated in September 2025 with an accrual goal of 111 patients. Clinical trial information: NCT07061964 .
SWOG S1602: A phase III randomized trial to evaluate BCG strain differences and priming with intradermal BCG before intravesical therapy for BCG-naïve high-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NCT #03091660).
LBA629 Background: Whether BCG strain influences clinical efficacy is unclear. BCG shortages and a reliance on a single strain may impact disease outcomes. Evidence also suggests that priming with intradermal (ID) BCG vaccination prior to intravesical (IVe) BCG enhances anti-tumor immunity and cancer clearance. Co-primary objectives address these issues. Methods: The trial design calls for 924 eligible patients with BCG naïve non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) (HG Ta/T1 +/- CIS or CIS alone) with negative purified protein derivative (PPD) to be randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio, to IVe TICE (Arm 1), IVe Tokyo-172 (Arm 2), or ID + IVe Tokyo-172 (Arm 3) BCG, stratifying on age group and clinical stage. IVe BCG included 6 weekly instillations (induction) and three weekly instillations (maintenance) at 3 and 6 months (mo), then every 6 mo for 3 years. Objective 1 tests whether Tokyo-172 BCG is non-inferior (NI) to TICE BCG, specifying a NI hazard ratio=1.34 (84% power). Objective 2 tests whether priming with ID prior to IVe Tokyo-172 is superior to IVe Tokyo-172 (HR=0.71, 83% power). The primary endpoint is high-grade recurrence-free survival (HG-RFS) censored at last cystoscopy, using a one-sided α=0.021 for each test. A Cox model adjusting for the stratification factors is used. Secondary endpoints include adverse events, 6-mo biopsy-proven complete response (CR) in patients with CIS +/- Ta, T1, duration of CR, PPD conversion and HG-RFS, progression-free survival (PFS) and quality of life. Max follow-up is 5 years. Results: 1000 (984 eligible) patients were enrolled from 2/17-12/20. Median (IQR) follow up is 4.6 (3.6, 5.0) yrs. Median age (range) is 70 yrs (26, 99), 17% are female, 9% are non-white, and 34% had CIS at entry. HG-RFS, CR, duration of CR at 4 yrs, and PFS were similar among arms (Table). PPD conversion occurred in 29% and was not correlated with HG-RFS. Gr 1-2 AE rate was similar (67%, 71%, and 67%) and Gr 3-4 (no Gr 5s) rate was 6%, 11%, and 14% for Arms 1,2, and 3, respectively. Conclusions: Tokyo-172 is non-inferior to TICE BCG in terms of HG RFS and CIS CR and is similar for PFS. Gr 3-4 AE rate is higher with Tokyo-172. Priming with Tokyo-172 BCG does not improve HG RFS. PPD conversion is not prognostic. Clinical trial information: NCT #03091660 . CIS Component N (eligible) 5-yr HG RFS HG RFSHR (95.8% CI) @ 5-yrPFS PFS HR(95% CI) @ CR %(95% CI) 4 yr CR duration Tice Ive 333 (330) 58% 79% 62%; 71/114(53%, 71%) 80% Tokyo Ive 332 (327) 64% *0.82(0.63, 1.08) 79% *0.99(0.70, 1.39) 60%; 66/110(50%, 69%) 83% Tokyo ID + Ive 335 (327) 63% **1.00(0.76, 1.33) 77% **1.07(0.76, 1.51) 63%; 69/109(54%, 72%) 80% 3 mo. PPD + conversionY vs. N 782 evaluable225 (29%)557 (71%) 69%67% ^HR=0.91(0.68, 1.22) * Tokyo-172 vs. Tice, ** Tokyo Priming vs. Tokyo no priming. ^conversion to PPD + vs. – @ adjusted for 2 strat factors (and arms for PPD model). PFS event = MIBC, metastasis, or death.
Topline results from BOND-003 cohort P: A multi-national, single-arm study of intravesical cretostimogene grenadenorepvec for treatment of high-risk, papillary only, BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.
755 Background: Patients with High-Risk BCG-Unresponsive Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer have limited treatment options. The US FDA approved treatments for BCG-UR patients with CIS, but additional bladder-sparing therapies are needed, especially for the BCG-UR papillary-only population. Cretostimogene is an oncolytic immunotherapy with dual mechanisms of action. It replicates in and lyses cancer cells with Rb-E2F pathway alterations. This releases tumor-specific antigens, initiating an anti-tumor immune response, further amplified by the GM-CSF transgene. The BOND-003 Cohort P study (NCT04452591) is a single-arm clinical trial assessing the efficacy and safety of intravesical cretostimogene in HR, papillary-only, BCG-UR NMIBC patients. Methods: Eligibility criteria include age ≥18 years, ECOG PS of 0-2, and histologically confirmed BCG-UR HG Ta/T1 papillary disease without CIS within 90 days of study enrollment as verified per central pathology review. Patients had no visible evidence of residual bladder cancer before treatment. Intravesical cretostimogene is instilled for six weekly doses during the induction phase, followed by three weekly maintenance cycles quarterly through Month 12, then every six months through Month 36. Re-induction is permitted at 3 months for patients with HG Ta or CIS. Primary disease assessments include serial cystoscopy, urine cytology, axial imaging, and mandatory biopsy directed at prior tumor locations at Month 12, with centralized review of pathologic samples. Endpoints include HG-RFS, HG-EFS, PFS, and safety. The study has completed enrollment. Results: A total of 56 patients who received treatment with cretostimogene are evaluated based on data from September 1, 2025 cut off. At baseline, 76.7% of patients are 65 years or older, 21.4% are female, 64.3% have HG Ta, and 35.7% have HG T1 papillary NMIBC. Kaplan-Meier estimates of HG-RFS at 6- and 9-months are 84.6% (95% CI 73.1 - 96.1%) and 80.4% (95% CI 66.8-94.0%), respectively. No patients have undergone a radical cystectomy. One patient progressed to metastatic disease despite a clinical complete response in the bladder. Cretostimogene demonstrates a favorable safety profile, with most adverse events localized to low grade bladder symptoms. There are no serious treatment-related adverse events and no discontinuations related to cretostimogene. To date, no patients have required a dose delay or missed a dose due to a related adverse event. There have been no deaths related to study treatment. Further, updated data will be presented. Conclusions: These results demonstrate consistent efficacy and a well-tolerated safety profile. Mature data with longer term follow-up will build upon these promising findings and will inform future treatment approaches with cretostimogene. Clinical trial information: NCT04452591 .
Twelve-Month Results From the CISTO Study Comparing Radical Cystectomy Versus Bladder-Sparing Therapy for Recurrent High-Grade Non–Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
PURPOSE To compare patient-reported and clinical outcomes between radical cystectomy (RC) and bladder-sparing therapy (BST) in patients with recurrent high-grade non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). PATIENTS AND METHODS This pragmatic, prospective observational cohort study was designed with patients, who selected and prioritized outcomes. Eligible adults were candidates for both RC or BST, had previous induction Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), and received their last treatment within 12 months. The primary outcome was the EORTC-QLQ-C30 physical function scale at 12 months. Secondary outcomes included other EORTC-QLQ-C30 scales, depression, anxiety, bladder cancer–specific quality of life (QOL), financial burden, and cancer-specific outcomes. Targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE) was used to calculate average treatment effect (ATE) estimates between arms. Inverse probability weighted risk ratios (wRR) were calculated using quasi-Poisson regression. RESULTS Of 570 participants (mean age 71.4 years; 21% female), 371 selected BST and 199 selected RC. Physical function was significantly worse in the RC arm at 3 months; by 9 months, there was no difference between arms, and at 12 months, physical function did not differ (ATE, 0.9; 95% CI, –0.6 to 2.4; P = .22). RC was associated with better emotional function, generic health-related QOL, and financial burden, and lower depression and anxiety, while BST was associated with better bowel and sexual health. Cancer-specific survival was 99% for BST versus 96% for RC (wRR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.01). RC was associated with a higher risk of adverse events and serious adverse events, including a 90-day mortality rate of 2.5%. CONCLUSION Most patient-prioritized outcomes were similar or better among participants who chose RC compared with BST. These findings support the continued role of RC in managing recurrent high-grade NMIBC.
Outcomes of Reinduction With Nadofaragene Firadenovec
ABLE-22: Safety and efficacy evaluation of nadofaragene firadenovec alone or in combination with chemotherapy or immunotherapy—A randomized, open-label, phase 2 study.
TPS4630 Background: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the standard first-line therapy for patients with high-risk non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ (CIS) ± papillary tumors; however, patients whose disease is unresponsive to BCG therapy are unlikely to benefit from further courses of BCG. Bladder-preserving treatment options for patients with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC with CIS ± Ta/T1 include intravesical gene therapy (nadofaragene firadenovec-vncg), intravesical chemotherapy (gemcitabine and docetaxel), and immunotherapy (intravenous pembrolizumab and intravesical nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln). In a pivotal phase 3 study, 53.4% of participants (55/103) with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC with CIS ± Ta/T1 achieved a complete response (CR) within 3 months of a single instillation of nadofaragene firadenovec, and of them, 45.5% (25/55) maintained a CR at 12 months. Nadofaragene firadenovec in combination with chemotherapy or immunotherapy may further improve clinical efficacy. ABLE-22 (NCT06545955) is an interventional study evaluating the safety and efficacy of nadofaragene firadenovec alone or in combination with chemotherapy (gemcitabine and docetaxel) or immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) in participants with high-risk BCG-unresponsive NMIBC. Participants not responding at month 3 will be offered reinduction. Methods: ABLE-22 will include approximately 40 to 75 sites across the United States and Canada; sites in Asia, Australia, and Europe may be included. Participants (anticipated N = 150) will be randomly assigned 1:1:1 to receive nadofaragene firadenovec (n = 50), nadofaragene firadenovec plus gemcitabine and docetaxel (n = 50), or nadofaragene firadenovec plus pembrolizumab (n = 50). Adults aged ≥18 years with documented NMIBC with CIS ± Ta/T1 that is unresponsive to ≥2 courses of BCG therapy within the last 12 months are eligible to enroll. The primary endpoint is CR (defined as absence of low- and high-grade NMIBC) at months 3 or 6, as participants with persistent NMIBC (any CIS, low-grade Ta, and > 3 cm or multifocal high-grade Ta) will be offered reinduction once, at month 3. Secondary endpoints include durability of CR, incidence of muscle-invasive progression, cystectomy-free survival, pathologic staging, overall survival, and safety. Durability of CR will be followed up to month 36 (assessed quarterly for the first 24 months); all other secondary endpoints will be assessed up to and including month 36. Exploratory endpoints include changes in expression of potential biomarkers in blood and urine. Results from this investigational, randomized, multicenter, open-label study evaluating the safety and efficacy of nadofaragene firadenovec alone or in combination with chemotherapy or immunotherapy are expected July 2028. Clinical trial information: NCT06545955 .
Accuracy of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in Early Metastatic Testicular Seminoma: Analysis From the SEMS Trial
Introduction: Guideline recommended surveillance of nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) involves frequent cystoscopies. Cxbladder Monitor (CxbM) is a noninvasive urinary genomic test with high negative predictive value for NMIBC recurrence. Incorporation of CxbM into surveillance could reduce the frequency, burden, and cost of surveillance. We studied this impact using a theoretical health economic model. Materials and Methods: A Markov model for disease dynamics and decision tree model for surveillance pathways were created for 100 patients with theoretical NMIBC risk stratified by AUA criteria over 5 years from diagnosis. In the standard of care (SOC) arm, cystoscopy was performed per AUA guidelines. In the CxbM surveillance arm, CxbM was used starting 9 months after diagnosis. If positive, cystoscopy was performed per guidelines, but if negative, the cystoscopy was not performed and on the next scheduled encounter. Primary outcome was total budgetary impact. Additional outcomes included number of diagnostic tests, test-related complications, and patients with delayed diagnosis. Results: Compared with SOC, CxbM reduced mean total costs by $68,621 for 100 patients over 5 years or $137.24 per patient per year. Cystoscopy was reduced by 129 (0.31 per patient per year), and there was no difference in delayed cancer diagnosis. Using a probabilistic model, the median cost reduction per patient per year was $160 (95% credible interval −520 to 109) with 86.2% probability of cost savings. Conclusions: In this Markov model, incorporation of CxbM into surveillance for NMIBC reduced cystoscopy without negative impact on cancer detection with cost savings for the majority of simulations run.
Upstaging and risk migration with blue light cystoscopy for non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer: Results from a prospective multi-center registry.
686 Background: Blue-light cystoscopy (BLC) is an established procedure for use in the diagnosis and surveillance of patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). It is associated with improved detection rates compared to white light cystoscopy (WLC); however, limited data is available regarding its role in upstaging and/or upgrading when used alongside WLC. The aim of this study is to assess the incidence and features of patients undergoing upstaging and/or risk-group migration with the implementation of BLC. Methods: Using data from the prospective multi-institutional Cysview Registry (2014-2024), patients with NMIBC who underwent transurethral resection or biopsy of bladder tumors were identified. The patients in whom malignant lesions were exclusively detected by BLC, as well as those experiencing an upward change in risk category (as defined by the American Urological Association [AUA] classification) based on BLC findings, were documented. The clinical features of these patients were subsequently reviewed. Results: In this study, 2,854 patients were enrolled, who collectively underwent 4,158 resections and provided 6,432 separate pathology samples. A total of 201 (7%) patients had at least one malignant lesion detected exclusively by BLC while having negative WLC. These lesions (total 335) included carcinoma in-situ (CIS) in 145 (43%), low-grade Ta in 53 (16%), high-grade Ta in 95 (28%), high-grade T1 in 37 (11%), and high-grade T2 in 5 (1%). In patients with multifocal disease, BLC resulted in AUA risk-group upward migration in 66 (2.3%) patients.Theclinical features of these two groups are presented in the table. Taken together, the total rate of upgrading or upstaging using BLC was 9.3%, including migration to low-risk in 1.2%, intermediate-risk in 2.1%, and high-risk in 6%. Conclusions: Using BLC during transurethral resection or biopsy of bladder tumors results in risk group migration in over 9% of patients with NMIBC. This impacts patient management, including the administration of intravesical therapy when it was not initially planned, an extension in the duration of therapy, or the decision to proceed with radical cystectomy. Clinical features of patients with malignant lesions detected by BLC only (A) and those with risk group migration (B). Clinical features A B Age, median (IQR), year 71 (63-76) 71 (61-77) Gender, n (%) Male Female 140 (74)49 (26) 54 (82)12 (18) History of smoking, n (%) 117 (62) 40 (61) Primary occurrence, n (%) 65 (34) 14 (21) History on intravesical therapy, n (%) 92 (49) 40 (61) Urine cytology * , n (%) Positive Suspicious Atypical Negative/NA 33 (17)21 (10)41 (20)106 (53) 13 (20)7 (11)10 (15)36 (54) IQR: interquartile range; NA: not available. *Detected by either voided urine or bladder wash.
ABLE-22: Safety and efficacy evaluation of nadofaragene firadenovec alone or in combination with chemotherapy or immunotherapy—A randomized, open-label, phase 2 study.
TPS891 Background: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the standard first-line therapy for patients with high-risk non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ (CIS) ± papillary tumors; however, patients whose disease is unresponsive to BCG therapy are unlikely to benefit from further courses of BCG. Bladder-preserving treatment options for patients with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC with CIS ± Ta/T1 include intravesical gene therapy (nadofaragene firadenovec-vncg), intravesical chemotherapy (gemcitabine and docetaxel), and immunotherapy (intravenous pembrolizumab and intravesical nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln). In a pivotal phase 3 study, 53.4% of participants (55/103) with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC with CIS ± Ta/T1 achieved a complete response (CR) within 3 months of a single instillation of nadofaragene firadenovec, and of them, 45.5% (25/55) maintained a CR at 12 months. Nadofaragene firadenovec in combination with chemotherapy or immunotherapy may further improve clinical efficacy. ABLE-22 (NCT06545955) is an interventional study evaluating the safety and efficacy of nadofaragene firadenovec alone or in combination with chemotherapy (gemcitabine and docetaxel) or immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) in participants with high-risk BCG-unresponsive NMIBC. Reinduction for nonresponders once at month 3 will also be evaluated. Methods: ABLE-22 will include approximately 40 to 75 sites across the United States and Canada; however, sites in Asia, Australia, and Europe may be included. Participants (anticipated N=150) will be randomly assigned 1:1:1 to receive nadofaragene firadenovec (n=50), nadofaragene firadenovec plus gemcitabine and docetaxel (n=50), or nadofaragene firadenovec plus pembrolizumab (n=50). Adults aged ≥18 years with documented NMIBC with CIS ± Ta/T1 that is unresponsive to ≥2 courses of BCG therapy within the last 12 months are eligible to enroll. The primary endpoint is CR (defined as absence of low- and high-grade NMIBC) at months 3 or 6, as participants with persistent NMIBC (any CIS, low-grade Ta, and >3 cm or multifocal high-grade Ta) will be offered reinduction once, at month 3. Secondary endpoints include durability of CR, incidence of muscle-invasive progression, cystectomy-free survival, pathologic staging, overall survival, and safety. Durability of CR will be assessed quarterly up to and including month 24; all other secondary endpoints will be assessed up to and including month 36. Exploratory endpoints include changes in expression of potential biomarkers in blood and urine. Results from this investigational, randomized, multicenter, open-label study evaluating the safety and efficacy of nadofaragene firadenovec alone or in combination with chemotherapy or immunotherapy are expected July 2028. Clinical trial information: NCT06545955 .