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Characterizing trends in treatment modalities for localized muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the pre-immunotherapy era

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Abstract

Introduction

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is an aggressive disease for which treatment strategies are continuously evolving. We characterized trends in treatment modalities for MIBC from 2004 to 2013 (the “pre-immunotherapy era”) and identified predictors of receiving the current standard of care treatment: neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by radical cystectomy (RC).

Methods

We used the National Cancer Database to identify individuals diagnosed with clinically localized MIBC from 2004 to 2013. We calculated the yearly prevalence of NAC followed by RC, RC as first treatment, trimodal therapy, chemotherapy and/or radiation alone, and no treatment. We then identified factors associated with receiving NAC prior to RC.

Results

There was a notable increase in the use of NAC followed by RC over the study period, from 3.68% in 2004 to 14.83% in 2013 (P < 0.001). Factors associated with decreased odds of receiving this regimen included being older, Black, uninsured, less educated, and more burdened by comorbidities. Rates of trimodal therapy and chemotherapy and/or radiation alone remained relatively constant (approximately 5 and 17%, respectively). There was a consistent decline in the proportion of patients who did not receive any treatment, down to 34.20% in 2013.

Conclusion

Trends in localized MIBC treatment have evolved substantially since the early 2000s, and certain patient characteristics are associated with lower odds of receiving the current standard of care. This serves as a foundation from which to judge the impact of the upcoming immunotherapy era on the treatment landscape for this disease.

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Acknowledgements

Quoc-Dien Trinh supported by the Brigham Research Institute Fund to Sustain Research Excellence, the Bruce A. Beal and Robert L. Beal Surgical Fellowship, the Genentech Bio-Oncology Career Development Award from the Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, a Health Services Research pilot test grant from the Defense Health Agency, the Clay Hamlin Young Investigator Award from the Prostate Cancer Foundation, and an unrestricted educational grant from the Vattikuti Urology Institute.

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Author notes

  1. Sean A. Fletcher and Sabrina S. Harmouch contributed equally to this study.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Urological Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 45 Francis St, ASB II-3, Boston, MA, USA

    Sean A. Fletcher, Sabrina S. Harmouch, Alexander P. Cole, Mark A. Preston, Adam S. Kibel & Quoc-Dien Trinh

  2. Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Sean A. Fletcher, Sabrina S. Harmouch, Marieke J. Krimphove, Alexander P. Cole, Sebastian Berg, Philipp Gild & Quoc-Dien Trinh

  3. Department of Urology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany

    Marieke J. Krimphove

  4. Department of Urology and Neuro-Urology, Marien Hospital Herne, Ruhr-University Bochum, Herne, Germany

    Sebastian Berg

  5. Department of Urology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Philipp Gild

  6. Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Guru P. Sonpavde, Maxine Sun & Toni K. Choueiri

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  1. Sean A. Fletcher
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Contributions

SAF protocol/project development, data collection or management, data analysis, manuscript writing/editing. SSH protocol/project development, data collection or management, data analysis, manuscript writing/editing. MJK data collection or management, data analysis. APC data analysis, manuscript writing/editing. SB data collection or management, data analysis. PG data collection or management, data analysis. MAP data analysis, manuscript writing/editing. ASK data analysis, manuscript writing/editing. MS data analysis, manuscript writing/editing. TKC data analysis, manuscript writing/editing. QDT protocol/project development, data collection or management, data analysis, manuscript writing/editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Quoc-Dien Trinh.

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Conflict of interest

QDT reports honoraria from Bayer and Astellas and research funding from Intuitive Surgical. ASK reports consulting fees from Sanofi and Profound Medical; GPS is a consultant for BMS, Exelixis, Bayer, Sanofi, Pfizer, Novartis, Eisai, Janssen, Amgen, Astrazeneca, Merck, Genentech, Astellas/Agensys, and reports research support to institution from Bayer, Amgen, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Merck, Sanofi, Pfizer.

Research involving human participants and/or animals

We used completely de-identified data from the National Cancer Database. No identifiable humans were involved. Our study did not involve animals. Thus, our study was exempt from formal review by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital institutional review board.

Informed consent

All patient data were de-identified/anonymous and collected from hospitals that gave their informed consent to collect this information for the database.

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Fletcher, S.A., Harmouch, S.S., Krimphove, M.J. et al. Characterizing trends in treatment modalities for localized muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the pre-immunotherapy era. World J Urol 36, 1767–1774 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-018-2371-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-018-2371-y

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