Bladder cancer: what’s new in 2018–2019

Abstract

The review presents the results of the most important and interesting studies on diagnosis, epidemiology and treatment of bladder cancer within 2018–2019. Some regulations are based on the recommendations of the European Association of Urology, while others – on the results of mutual studies. As for treating non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, data of particular interest pertain to intravesical chemotherapy in case of to BCG resistance (Calmet–Guerin Bacillus) for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. Response rate and number of adverse reactions are satisfactory and allow to hope for better results in future. The results of epidemiological studies on large populations showed that considering the disease pathogenesis it is necessary to take into account the presence of human hepatitis HBAb, as well as human papillomavirus type 6. As immunotherapeutic drugs are widely used in patients with oncological and urological diseases, their action is studied in patients with nonmuscleinvasive, locally advanced bladder cancer. The results showed the effectiveness of pembrolizumab when administered intravesically in BCG refractory cancer. The same drugs used in the neoadjuvant mode showed an increase of pT0 number after radical cystectomy. A comparative study of pembrolizumab and atesolizumab versus traditional chemotherapy showed their advantage in the frequency of complete regressions and survival rates to progression.