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

Orlando, Florida USA (UroToday.com) The use of immunotherapy for advanced urothelial cancer continued to gain attention and excitement at this years genitourinary cancer symposium. Adding to this momentum is results from KEYNOTE-045 showing that pembrolizumab is better tolerated and more effective than standard cytotoxic chemotherapy.

In KEYNOTE-045 (NCT02256436) pembrolizumab improved overall survival over investigator’s choice of paclitaxel, docetaxel, or vinflunine as second-line therapy for advanced bladder cancer after platinum-based chemotherapy (HR 0.73; P = 0.0022). In the initial trial there were fewer treatment-related adverse events. were reported with pembro. The purpose of this abstract was to present the results from a prespecified HRQoL analysis of KEYNOTE-045. Use of the EORTC QLQ-C30 HRQoL instrument had good compliance (88%). Results demonstrated that pembrolizumab was associated with substantially better HRQOL than investigator chosen second line chemotherapy. Now Pembrolizumab has high level evidence stating it has improved survival, fewer adverse events and improved quality of life making it a standard as second line therapy after cisplatinum based chemotherapy.

Clinical trial information: NCT02256436

Author: David J. Vaughn

Written By: Michael J Metcalfe, MD, Fellow of Urologic Oncology Urology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX

Ashish M. Kamat, MD, MBBS, FACS, President, International Bladder Cancer Network Chair, Society of Immunotherapy for Cancer (SITC), BCTF, Director of Urologic Oncology Fellowship, Professor of Urology, Attending Surgeon, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX

at the 2017 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium - February 16 - 18, 2017 – Orlando, Florida USA