Pure Urothelial Tumors May Predict Better NAC Response

Patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) are more likely to have acomplete pathologic response (pT0) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) ifthey have pure urothelial carcinomas rather than cancers with variant histologicfeatures or mixed tumors, a study found.

Venkata K. Pokuri, MD, of Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, andcolleagues studied 50 robotic cystectomy patients (median age 67.5 years) whounderwent NAC for MIBC. They divided patients into 2 groups: those with andwithout pT0. Of the 50 patients, 14 (28%) had pT0 at cystectomy, 20 (40%) had progressivedisease, and 16 (32%) had residual disease. 

Patients with pure urothelialcarcinoma had approximately 11 times greater odds of a pT0 response comparedwith patients who had transitional cell variant histologic features or mixed tumors,the researchers reported online ahead of print in Clinical Genitourinary Cancer.

From the December 01, 2015 Issue of Renal and Urology News