How could the use of dd-MVAC in neoadjuvant therapy revolutionize survival outcomes for muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients?
In early June at the ASCO Annual Meeting, new, potentially practice-changing research was presented, which suggests that dose-dense methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (dd-MVAC) could significantly improve overall survival (OS) rates for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer undergoing neoadjuvant therapy.
Key Points:
- Dd-MVAC enhances OS in comparison to gemcitabine and cisplatin in neoadjuvant therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
- Data gathered from the phase 3 VESPER trial (NCT01812369) which included 500 patients; 437 underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
- Five-year OS rates were significantly higher for dd-MVAC recipients in the neoadjuvant setting, 66% versus 57% for gemcitabine-cisplatin recipients.
Additional Points:
- Dd-MVAC did not significantly impact the OS in the total study population.
- In the neoadjuvant setting, dd-MVAC significantly reduced the risk of death by 30%.
- No significant effect on death risk was observed in the adjuvant setting with dd-MVAC.
Conclusion:
- The use of dd-MVAC in the neoadjuvant setting offers potential for increased survival rates for muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients, highlighting a potential shift in therapeutic strategies.
Further Reading