Frontiers in Oncology (May 2021)

Treatments Outcomes in Histological Variants and Non-Urothelial Bladder Cancer: Results of a Multicenter Retrospective Study

  • Nicolas Epaillard,
  • Pauline Parent,
  • Yohann Loriot,
  • Pernelle Lavaud,
  • E-B. Vera-Cea,
  • Nieves Martinez-Chanza,
  • Alejo Rodriguez-Vida,
  • Clement Dumont,
  • Rebeca Lozano,
  • Rebeca Lozano,
  • Casilda Llácer,
  • Raffaele Ratta,
  • Stephane Oudard,
  • Constance Thibault,
  • Edouard Auclin

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2021.671969
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11

Abstract

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IntroductionLess than one-third of bladder cancers are non-pure urothelial carcinoma [with variant histological (VH) or non-urothelial carcinoma (non-UC)] for which no treatment guidelines are available. We aim to evaluate the efficacy of systemic treatments in VH or non-UC bladder cancers.MaterialsMulticenter retrospective analysis of patients treated for advanced or metastatic VH or non-UC bladder cancers. Primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR) according to treatment line, regimen and histology subtype. Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).ResultsBetween 2005 and 2020, 46 patients from seven centers were included. The median age was 66 years (58.75; 74.75), 65.2% were male and 67.2% presented VH. At first line, the ORR for the entire population was 54.4% and median OS was 21.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 14.2-38.6). The ORR of the 37 patients treated with chemotherapy at first line was 62.2% with median PFS and OS of 7.3 (95% CI: 4.5-8.6) and 21.6 months (95% CI: 14.2-35.7), respectively. Dose dense MVAC and platinum doublet chemotherapy had the highest ORR (71.4% and 65.2%). The 9 patients treated with immunotherapy at first line had an ORR of 22.2%, a median PFS of 3.3 months (95% CI:2.3-NR) and the median OS was not reached (95% CI:13.8-NR). Response to treatment varied depending on the histological sub-types and on the treatment type.ConclusionChemotherapy and immunotherapy have shown to be effective in VH or non-UC cancers, a rare histological subtype for which we currently have very little data in the literature.

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