Urothelial cancers of the urinary tract are the fourth most common malignancy in men, with a shifting demographic affecting younger patients and an increasing incidence in females. In this Review, we discuss recent discoveries and paradigm-shifting clinical trials that impact all stages of urothelial cancer. New therapeutics and drug-delivery devices have led to multiple approvals for treatments of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. The addition of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and antibody-drug conjugates is transforming perioperative treatment for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The use of liquid biomarkers, circulating tumor DNA, and urinary tumor DNA is aiding the identification of patients at risk for local recurrence and possibly those who can avoid systemic therapy. Finally, integrating biomarkers and systemic treatments is creating a paradigm that could lead to the successful treatment of bladder cancer without requiring bladder removal. Overall, these advancements in biomarkers and novel therapeutics are likely to dramatically improve survival for bladder cancer.
Joshua J. Meeks (Sun,) studied this question.