Bladder Cancer
An Introduction to Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer is the most common malignancy involving the urinary system. While cisplatin-based chemotherapy and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) remains the standard of care for muscle-invasive and non-muscle-invasive disease, respectively, the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors has transformed the management of advanced urothelial cancer, with atezolizumab, durvalumab and avelumab being approved for use following platinum-based chemotherapy or in as first-line treatment in platinum-ineligible patients. However, many patients fail to respond to these agents, and predictive biomarkers remain an unmet need. Emerging treatment options include combined immunotherapy approaches, targeted therapies and antibody-drug conjugates.
Browse our selection of video highlights and short articles from the conference hub, which provide insights into the latest updates from major conferences, and a collection of peer-reviewed articles from the journal portfolio. These are complemented by a range of educational activities from our expert faculty, with patient outcomes at the forefront.
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See who the oncology community selected as the rising stars of 2026!
In this Future Leaders interview, Dr Kevin Keane discusses the mentors who shaped his approach to clinically meaningful research, the integration of surgery and innovation in uro-oncology and the collaborative, patient-centred advances set to transform bladder cancer care.
At EAU26, Dr Kevin Keane presented early results from the G-DISCO trial, the first-in-human study exploring a streamlined intravesical approach for patients with BCG-unresponsive non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
At #EAU26, Professor Dickon Hayne presented early findings from the ZiPUP study. This is a phase I trial exploring a novel PET imaging approach in urothelial cancer. In this interview, he discusses the unmet need in staging, the study’s design and what the preliminary data might mean for clinical practice.
At EAU26, Prof Dickon Hayne presented findings from the ANZUP 1301 (BCG+MM) trial. With global BCG shortages and ongoing challenges around tolerability, the study offers timely insights into how combination intravesical strategies may deliver comparable efficacy while improving patient experience and resource utilisation.
At the recent 2026 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO GU26), Dr Jeannie Hoffman-Censits (The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA) presented data from ECOG-ACRIN EA8192 cohort C, exploring a new approach for patients with high-grade (HG) upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) who are ineligible for cisplatin. With neoadjuvant options limited in this population, the trial assessed whether combining chemotherapy with immunotherapy could improve outcomes.
The 2026 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium showcased pivotal advances across renal, prostate and bladder cancers. Key late-breaking trials across kidney, prostate and bladder cancer highlighted promising combinations, novel targeted therapies and innovative radioligand approaches, demonstrating improved disease control, progression-free survival and ...
2025 has brought exciting developments in oncology, with groundbreaking research and real-world progress showcased at ASCO, ESMO, EHA, ASH and many more leading conferences around the world. We asked our key faculty to share what they believe has been most impactful so far this year – here’s what they told us.
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2025 congress brought over 100 late-breaking abstracts, 250 sessions, 600 expert speakers and 33,800 delegates to Berlin in October. The meeting highlighted innovations ranging from novel agents to real-world evidence and patient-centred care. In this article, hear from the experts on the key breakthroughs and clinical insights set to shape the future of oncology practice.
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2025 congress brought over 100 late-breaking abstracts, 250 sessions, 600 expert speakers and 33,800 delegates to Berlin in October. The meeting highlighted innovations ranging from novel agents to real-world evidence and patient-centred care. In this article, hear from the experts on the key breakthroughs and clinical insights set to shape the future of oncology practice.
From breakthrough perioperative regimens to biomarker-driven precision therapy, ESMO 2025 unveiled practice-changing data in bladder cancer. Landmark trials like KEYNOTE-905, IMvigor011, and BladderPath are redefining standards across disease stages—offering new hope for cisplatin-ineligible patients, guiding adjuvant decisions through ctDNA, and streamlining diagnostics with MRI.
Fresh data from the ESMO 2025 Congress reveal major shifts in prostate and kidney cancer treatment. From radioligand therapy entering first-line prostate cancer to the first targeted AKT strategy in PTEN-deficient disease, and new benchmarks in RCC with LenCabo and RAMPART, the landscape is rapidly evolving.
Dr Petros Grivas discusses how the neoadjuvant and perioperative landscape for bladder cancer is rapidly evolving. From durvalumab-based combinations for cisplatin-eligible patients to pembrolizumab–enfortumab vedotin for those ineligible for platinum therapy, the field is shifting fast. Dr Grivas shares key trial updates from ESMO25, emerging biomarker insights and a glimpse into the future of personalized and bladder-preserving treatment.
At ESMO25, Prof. Morgan Rouprêt discussed early results from the ALBAN trial, evaluating atezolizumab plus BCG in high-risk NMIBC. While event-free survival outcomes were neutral, the findings underscore the need for biomarker-driven treatment selection and personalized immunotherapy in early-stage bladder cancer.
Discover how the late-breaking BladderPath trial has the potential to reshape bladder cancer care. At ESMO25, Prof Nicholas D. James revealed that upfront MRI scans reduce time to treatment from 130 to 95 days, halve relapse risk, and are cost-effective. This evidence-based approach enables more accurate staging, targeted TURBT procedures, and faster access to definitive therapy.
Discover how KEYNOTE-905, presented as an ESMO25 Presidential Late-breaker, could open the door to surgery-free approaches for patients with cisplatin-ineligible muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Perioperative enfortumab vedotin plus pembrolizumab demonstrated remarkable event-free and overall survival benefits, with 57% of patients achieving complete pathological response. Learn how these findings may influence future treatment strategies, and offer a promising new concept for select patient populations.
At #ASCO25, Professor Dickon Hayne presented results from the ANZUP 1301 trial showing that adding mitomycin C to BCG may offer a well-tolerated, effective option for high-risk NMIBC. The combination reduced BCG use by 40% – a significant finding amid global shortages – with encouraging efficacy and safety signals.
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