Dr. Iacovelli on Key Takeaways from the ARIES Trial in Urothelial Cancer

Roberto Iacovelli, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, the Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy, discusses the key takeaways of the phase 2 ARIES trial (NCT03891238) in urothelial cancer.

The ARIES trial evaluated first-line avelumab (Bavencio) in patients with metastatic and locally advanced urothelial cancer who were PD-L1 positive and unfit for cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Findings from this study suggested avelumab demonstrated activity in urothelial cancer, Iacovelli says. Moreover, avelumab has a tolerable safety profile, Iacovelli adds.

Notably, patients with urothelial cancer who are ineligible for cisplatin-based chemotherapy tend to have a poor prognosis, and they are generally frailer, Iacovelli explains. These patients should be managed with immunotherapy and should be further studied in future clinical trials, Iacovelli concludes.