Commentaar op: ALBAN (GETUG-AFU 37) trial bij intravesicale blaaskanker

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized urothelial carcinoma treatment, and are recently shifting upstream in the treatment landscape to localized stages. ICIs must, however, overcome the long-standing dominance of intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). While BCG remains the standard of care for high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (HR-NMIBC), it fails in 30%-40% of patients according to historical series.1,2 Combining systemic ICIs with intravesical BCG has raised the hope of achieving a synergistic and durable antitumor immune response.