Checkpoint Inhibitors Show Promise in Bladder Cancer

October 3, 2017

With no new bladder cancer treatment approvals in 30 years, 2016 proved to be a breakthrough year in bladder cancer research.  It kicked off this year’s rapid expansion of several immunotherapies now available to patients with metastatic bladder cancer, revolutionizing the treatment of this disease.

Before, we could offer chemotherapy, which was hard for patients to tolerate, and for many, the cancer ultimately returned.  Now, we have a wealth of immunotherapy treatments. When they work, the quality of the response can last for months or years.

Elizabeth Plimack, MD, Chief of the Division of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center