Dr. Sklar on Immunotherapy Potential in Bladder Cancer

Geoffrey Sklar, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Chesapeake Urology Associates, discusses the potential of immunotherapy agents in the treatment of patients with bladder cancer.

According to Sklar, the data for immunotherapy in bladder cancer show significant improvement over platinum-based chemotherapy, including cisplatin/gemcitabine, which represent the "gold standard" in this space.

Many of these patients have failed either neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapies, he says, but they are beginning to see more promising outcomes when treated with immunotherapy agents.

Looking ahead to the future, Sklar says that patients who have had very little or no hope thus far can likely see more benefits if they are treated with immunotherapy. The next steps should focus on determining which patients with bladder cancer are best suited to receive immunotherapy instead of chemotherapy, he explains.