Centers of Excellence
Bladder Cancer
From the Editor
From the Desk of the Editor
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Center of Excellence on Bladder Cancer. “The time is now”. This is an often used phrase in literature, often enough to be considered a cliché. Yet it is exactly this term which applies to the field of bladder cancer research today.
After decades of relative stagnation our field is moving at a dizzying pace toward meaningful improvements in patient care for those suffering from this disease. From better understanding of variant histology, knowledge of the genetic profile of tumors, identification of key signaling pathways, advances in immunotherapy, the adoption of enhanced recover pathways, and more, we now have the tools to make truly meaningful improvements in our patients’ outcomes.

Ashish M. Kamat, MD
Ashish M. Kamat, MD is a Professor (Tenure) of Urology and Director of Urologic Oncology Fellowship at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and a graduate of the AUA Leadership Program. Dr Kamat has authored over 200 publications, editorials & book chapters in prestigious journals; he is listed in 'Who's Who in Medicine' and ‘Best Doctors in America’ and has won the Compassionate Doctor Award from patient groups. He is an exceptional educator nominated twice for the Robert M. Chamberlain Distinguished Mentor Award and has been invited as a visiting professor to several universities across the world. Dr Kamat is Co President,International Bladder Cancer Network, Chair, Bladder Cancer Think Tank (2015), Chair, Bladder Cancer Task Force for SITC, actively participates in various global urologic efforts, and serves on the board of regional and national societies for Urology.
EAU 2018 Bladder Cancer
- EAU 2018: Results of POUT – A Phase III Randomized Trial of Peri-Operative Chemotherapy Versus Surveillance in Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer March 19, 2018
- EAU 2018: The Impact of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy on Locally Advanced Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: A Multicenter Study March 19, 2018
- EAU 2018: How Should I Manage a Patient with Tumour Recurrence Despite Adequate BCG? March 17, 2018
ASCO GU 2018 Bladder Cancer
- ASCO GU 2018: Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Which One and Why? February 10, 2018
- ASCO GU 2018: Two-year Follow-up: 3 KEYNOTE-045 Trial of Pembrolizumab vs Investigator’s Choice Chemotherapy in Recurrent, Advanced Urothelial Cancer February 10, 2018
- ASCO GU 2018: New 6-factor prognostic model for patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma receiving post-platinum atezolizumab February 10, 2018
- ASCO GU 2018: Atezolizumab vs. Chemotherapy in Platinum-treated Locally Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma - Outcomes from the Phase III IMvigor211 Study February 10, 2018
- ASCO GU 2018: Nivolumab monotherapy in metastatic urothelial carcinoma: Longer-term efficacy and safety results from the CheckMate 032 study February 10, 2018
- ASCO GU 2018: Update on The Cancer Genome Atlas February 9, 2018
ESOU18 Bladder Cancer
- ESOU18: New Techniques for Bladder Tumor Resection - Are They Better Than Conventional TURBT? January 29, 2018
- ESOU18: Robotic Assisted Radical Cystectomy Does Not Always Confer the Right Urinary Diversion January 29, 2018
- ESOU18: The Role of Extended Lymphadenectomy for Bladder Cancer - The American Perspective January 28, 2018
- ESOU18: The Role of Extended Lymphadenectomy for Bladder Cancer - The European Perspective January 28, 2018
SUO 2017 - Bladder Cancer
- SUO 2017: Comparing Effective Treatment Strategies for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder December 5, 2017
- SUO 2017: Effect of Blue-Light Cystoscopy of Recurrence/Progression Rates for Vesigenurtacel-L (Hs-410) with BCG in Patients with NMIBC November 30, 2017
- SUO 2017: The Role of Immunotherapy in Bladder Cancer: Ongoing Trials and Early Data November 29, 2017
SIU 2017 Bladder Cancer
- SIU 2017: SIU-ICUD Joint Consultation on Bladder Cancer - Epidemiology, Prevention, Screening, Diagnosis and Evaluation October 19, 2017
- SIU 2017: SIU-ICUD Joint Consultation on Bladder Cancer - Molecular Markers October 19, 2017
ESMO 2017 Bladder Cancer
- ESMO 2017: Will RANGE study impact the standard of care in metastatic urothelial carcinoma? September 11, 2017
- ESMO 2017: Pembrolizumab ± chemotherapy versus chemotherapy in advanced urothelial cancer: Phase 3 KEYNOTE-361 trial September 11, 2017
- ESMO 2017: RANGE: A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled phase 3 study of docetaxel with or without ramucirumab in platinum refractory advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma September 11, 2017
- ESMO 2017: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition, T cell infiltration, and outcomes with nivolumab in urothelial cancer September 10, 2017
- ESMO 2017: Impact of Tumor Mutation Burden on Nivolumab Efficacy in Second-Line Urothelial Carcinoma Patients: Exploratory Analysis of the Phase II CheckMate 275 Study September 10, 2017
- ESMO 2017: Mature results favour pembrolizumab as second-line treatment for bladder cancer September 10, 2017
CUA 2017
- CUA 2017: A Propensity Score Analysis of Radical Cystectomy vs. Bladder-Sparing Trimodal Therapy in the Setting of a Multidisciplinary Bladder Cancer Clinic June 27, 2017
- CUA 2017: Long-Term Incidence of Venous Thromboembolic Events Following cystectomy: A Population-Based Analysis June 27, 2017
- CUA 2017: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Hexaminolevulinate Blue Light-Assisted Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumors in a Universal Healthcare System June 26, 2017
- CUA 2017: Phase II Trial of Atezolizumab in Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-Unresponsive Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer June 26, 2017
- CUA 2017: Outcomes of Urothelial Bladder Cancer Patients who had Previous Upper Tract Urothelial Disease June 25, 2017
- CUA 2017: State of the Art Immunotherapy for Urologic Cancers. June 25, 2017
- CUA 2017: Update on Bladder Preservation in Muscle Invasive Disease June 25, 2017
Bladder Cancer Academy 2017
- Bladder Cancer Academy 2017: Targeted Therapies for Renal Cell Carcinoma June 13, 2017
- Bladder Cancer Academy 2017: Quality Indicators and Enhanced Imaging in Cystoscope and TURBT June 13, 2017
- Bladder Cancer Academy 2017: AUA Guidelines: Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer June 13, 2017
- Bladder Cancer Academy 2017: Why LUGPA Embraces Managing Advanced Genitourinary Cancers June 13, 2017
- Bladder Cancer Academy 2017: AUA Guidelines: Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer June 13, 2017
- Bladder Cancer Academy 2017: Intravesical Therapy: When Bacillus Calmette-Guerin Fails June 13, 2017
- Bladder Cancer Academy 2017: Immunotherapy of Renal Cell Carcinoma June 13, 2017
- Bladder Cancer Academy 2017: Immunotherapy of Advanced Bladder Cancer: The Next Frontier June 13, 2017
- Bladder Cancer Academy 2017: Genitourinary Oncology: A Peek Over the Horizon June 13, 2017
- Bladder Cancer Academy 2017: Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Chemotherapy Bladder Cancer June 13, 2017
- Bladder Cancer Academy 2017: Bladder-Sparing Strategies June 13, 2017
- Bladder Cancer Academy 2017: Bladder Cancer Biomarkers: New and Old June 13, 2017
ASCO 2017 Bladder Cancer
- ASCO 2017: Astellas and Seattle Genetics Announce Updated Enfortumab Vedotin Phase 1 Data in Metastatic Urothelial Cancer June 6, 2017
- ASCO 2017: Phase II trial of atezolizumab in BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer June 5, 2017
- ASCO 2017: Management Strategies for Nonurothelial Bladder Cancer June 4, 2017
- ASCO 2017: Expanding the Actionable Landscape: Bladder Cancer Genomics - Introduction June 2, 2017
- ASCO 2017: Cancer predisposing germline mutations in patients with urothelial cancer of the renal pelvis, ureter and bladder. June 2, 2017
- ASCO 2017: DNA damage repair and response gene alterations and response to PD1/PDL1 blockade in platinum-treated metastatic urothelial carcinoma June 2, 2017
- ASCO 2017: Unlocking the Genome: Insights Into Risk and Response in Bladder Cancer June 2, 2017
- ASCO 2017: Subclonal mutational heterogeneity and survival in cisplatin-resistant muscle-invasive bladder cancer June 2, 2017
AUA 2017 Bladder Cancer
- AUA 2017: A Comparison of Post-Cystectomy Recurrence and Survival in NAC-Responsive MIBC vs. High-Risk NMIBC Patients May 26, 2017
- AUA 2017: Validation of VTE Score in Major Urologic Cancer Surgery May 26, 2017
- AUA 2017: Is compliance to an enhanced recovery protocol after radical cystectomy associated with improved post operative outcomes? May 25, 2017
EAU 2017 - Bladder Cancer
- EAU 2017: Perioperative chemotherapy does not improve disease free survival in upper tract urothelial carcinoma: a population based analysis March 28, 2017
- EAU 2017: State-of-the-art Lecture: How will Immunotherapy Change the Treatment Paradigm? March 27, 2017
- EAU 2017: State-of-the-art Lecture: Is There Still a Role for Chemotherapy? March 27, 2017
- EAU 2017: Updated meta-analysis (MA) of salvage therapy for metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC): Comparing outcomes of immunotherapy (IT) vs. single agent and doublet chemotherapy (CT) March 26, 2017
- EAU 2017: State of the Art Lecture: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) for bladder cancer: non-surgical options to improve outcomes of cystectomy March 26, 2017
- EAU 2017: Debate - Do we need to follow-up in low grade bladder tumor after 12 months?-Yes (EAU Guidelines) March 26, 2017
- EAU 2017: Perfect adjuvant treatment March 26, 2017
- EAU 2017: Perfect transurethral resection March 26, 2017
- EAU 2017: Pure histological variants are associated with poor survival at radical cystectomy in patients with bladder cancer March 26, 2017
- EAU 2017: Efficacy of long acting sandostatin on reducing mucus production in patients with ileal neobladder March 26, 2017
- EAU 2017: Increasing use of incontinent urinary diversion: A total population analysis of radical cystectomies in Germany from 2006 to 2013 March 26, 2017
- EAU 2017: The use of antibiotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer March 26, 2017
- EAU 2017: 20-gene expression signature to predict lymph node positive disease at radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer: Not validated March 26, 2017
- EAU 2017: IMvigor010, a phase III study of adjuvant atezolizumab vs observation in patients (pts) with muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma (UC) March 25, 2017
- EAU 2017: PURE01: An open label, single-arm, phase 2 study of the anti-programmed death (PD)-1 monoclonal antibody (moAb) pembrolizumab for neoadjuvant therapy of muscle-invasive urothelial bladder carcinoma (miUBC) March 25, 2017
- EAU 2017: Comparison effectiveness of trimodal therapy versus radical cystectomy for localized muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder March 25, 2017
- EAU 2017: Can radical cystectomy be performed safely in the metastatic setting? Location of metastatic bladder cancer as a determinant of in-hospital mortality March 25, 2017
- EAU 2017: Debate on bladder cancer surgery: open cystectomy is still the way - Con March 25, 2017
- EAU 2017: Multimodal bladder preservation technique for muscle invasive bladder cancer: Results from a prospective trial March 25, 2017
- EAU 2017: Pembrolizumab produces clinically meaningful responses as first-line therapy in cisplatin-ineligible advanced urothelial cancer: Results from subgroup analyses of KEYNOTE-052 March 24, 2017
ASCO GU 2017 Bladder Cancer
- ASCO GU 2017: Muscle-invasive bladder cancer: Molecular subtypes and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. - Session Highlights February 20, 2017
- ASCO GU 2017: BC2001 long-term outcomes: A phase III randomized trial of chemoradiotherapy versus radiotherapy (RT) alone and standard RT versus reduced high-dose volume RT in muscle-invasive bladder cancer - Session Highlights February 20, 2017
- ASCO GU 2017: Resection margins after radical cystectomy at academic versus community cancer centers. - Session Highlights February 20, 2017
- ASCO GU 2017: Characterizing the costs of complications after cystectomy: Can we target the primary drivers? - Session Highlights February 20, 2017
- ASCO GU 2017: Pembrolizumab as first-line therapy in cisplatin-ineligible advanced urothelial cancer: Results from the total KEYNOTE-052 study population. - Session Highlights February 20, 2017
- ASCO GU 2017: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the KEYNOTE-045 study of pembrolizumab versus investigator-choice chemotherapy for previously treated advanced urothelial cancer - Session Highlights February 20, 2017
- ASCO GU 2017: Quality of care in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: optimizing surgical and medical therapies - Session Highlights February 18, 2017
- ASCO GU 2017: Intravesical rAD-IFNa/Syn3 for patients with high-grade, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) refractory or relapsed non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: a phase II randomized study - Session Highlights February 18, 2017
- ASCO GU 2017: Urothelial Carcinoma: Year in Review - Session Highlights February 18, 2017
- ASCO GU 2017: Optimizing Outcomes in Muscle-Invasive and Metastatic Bladder Cancer - Urologist View - Session Highlights February 18, 2017
- ASCO GU 2017: Optimizing Outcomes in Muscle-Invasive and Metastatic Bladder Cancer - Medical Oncologist’s Perspective - Session Highlights February 18, 2017
- ASCO GU 2017: Optimizing Outcomes in Muscle-Invasive and Metastatic Bladder Cancer - Surgeon’s Perspective - Session Highlights February 18, 2017
- ASCO GU 2017: Optimizing Outcomes in Muscle-Invasive and Metastatic Bladder Cancer - Urologist Perspective - Session Highlights February 18, 2017
- ASCO GU 2017: Optimizing Outcomes in Muscle-Invasive and Metastatic Bladder Cancer - Radiation Oncology Perspective - Session Highlights February 17, 2017
- ASCO GU 2017: Optimizing Outcomes in Muscle-Invasive and Metastatic Bladder Cancer - Session Highlights February 17, 2017
- A Care Bundle to Improve Perioperative Mitomycin Use in Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer – Beyond the Abstract
- Bladder Cancer: New Insights Into its Molecular Pathology - Beyond the Abstract
- Pseudoprogression Manifesting as Recurrent Ascites with Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy in Urothelial Bladder Cancer - Beyond the Abstract
- Recommendations for Follow-up of Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Patients: Beyond the Abstract
- FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Erdafitinib in the Treatment of Metastatic Urothelial Cancer
- First-line pembrolizumab in cisplatin-ineligible patients with locally advanced and unresectable or metastatic urothelial cancer (KEYNOTE-052): a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 study
- Enhanced Recovery after Urological Surgery: A Contemporary Systematic Review of Outcomes, Key Elements, and Research Needs.
- Novel Gene Therapy Shows Three-Fold Improvement in Recurrence-Free Survival in High-Risk, Early-Stage Bladder Cancer Patients Where Current Gold-Standard Treatment Fails.
- Intravesical rAd-IFNα/Syn3 for Patients With High-Grade, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin-Refractory or Relapsed Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Phase II Randomized Study.
- Expert Commentary: Avelumab, an Anti–Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Antibody, In Patients With Refractory Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma: Results From a Multicenter, Phase Ib Study.
- Expert Commentary: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer with variant histology.
- Expert Commentary:Contemporary use trends and survival outcomes in patients undergoing radical cystectomy or bladder-preservation therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
- TURBT More Important Than Ever
- Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Panurothelial Carcinoma Treated with Radical Nephroureterectomy Following Cystectomy for Metachronous Recurrence.
- [Concurrent renal cell carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma: long-term follow-up study of 24 cases].
- Variant histology as a significant predictor of survival after radical nephroureterectomy in patients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.
- Identification of key pathways and genes influencing prognosis in bladder urothelial carcinoma.
- Clinical impact of postoperative loss in psoas major muscle and nutrition index after radical cystectomy for patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.
- EAU 2017: State-of-the-art Lecture: Biomarkers for Treatment Selection
- Impact of divergent differentiation in urothelial carcinoma on oncological outcome in patients with T1 high-grade bladder cancer.
- Solute carrier family 12 member 5 promotes tumor invasion/metastasis of bladder urothelial carcinoma by enhancing NF-κB/MMP-7 signaling pathway.
- Immunohistochemical and molecular characterizations in urothelial carcinoma of bladder in patients less than 45 years.
- Pembrolizumab therapy for chemotherapy-resistant urothelial carcinoma - Beyond the Abstract
- Atezolizumab as first-line treatment in cisplatin-ineligible patients with locally advanced and metastatic urothelial carcinoma: a single-arm, multicentre, phase 2 trial
- Pembrolizumab as Second-Line Therapy for Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma
- Safety and activity of pembrolizumab in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer (KEYNOTE-012): a non-randomised, open-label, phase 1b study.
- New KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Data Accepted for Presentation at SITC 2016 Annual Meeting