The response of advanced bladder cancer to immunotherapy has nothing to do with gene mutation status

The results of the study were published in the British Journal of Cancer
.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that by 2021, 83,730 people in the United States will be diagnosed with bladder cancer, which will cause 17,200 deaths
.

Although early-diagnosed cancers are treatable, the 5-year survival rate is about 6% in advanced cases where cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body

"Although previous research has shown that bladder cancer with fgfr3 mutations should not be treated with immunotherapy, our research shows the opposite, so we believe that immunotherapy should be provided without hesitation," William Y.
Kim, Medical University of North Carolina Lineberger Said the doctor
.

Rush S.

Recently, some major advances have been made in the treatment of bladder cancer
.

In 2019, the FDA approved erdafitinib (Balversa) to target FGFR3 and prolong survival

"Clinical trials have shown that compared with cancers without FGFR3 mutations, bladder cancers with FGFR3 mutations have fewer immune cells, mainly T cells
.

Due to low levels of tumor immune cells, immune checkpoint blockade often responds poorly, which is assumed These patients have low immunotherapy response rates," said Tracy Ross of UNC Lineberger, MD, Miles, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and co-first author of the paper

To test this hypothesis, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Lineberger designed a study that compared tumor tissue samples and clinical trial data from 17 patients with fgfr3 mutations in bladder cancer and 86 patients without mutations
.

The researchers found that patients with FGFR3 mutations responded to immunotherapy in the same way as patients without mutations

"The treatment criteria for advanced bladder cancer have become quite complicated, but having more options is a good thing," Kim said
.

"Now, most patients will receive chemotherapy, and then, if needed, tumors altered by fgfr3 can be treated with eldafitinib or immunotherapy

The researchers hope to establish a clinical trial to test whether patients with changes in FGFR3 benefit more from eldafitinib or immunotherapy
.

"Our study does not rule out the possibility of erdafitinib synergistically with immunotherapy," said co-first author William Weir, MD-PhD student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
.

"The fact that patients with changes in fgfr3 benefit from immunotherapy suggests that this may be a reasonable approach

Journal Reference :

1. Tracy L.

   
   Rose, William H.