NEO-BLAST: Neoadjuvant Therapy for Bladder Cancer Followed by Active Surveillance vs Treatment

What this study is about

Invasive bladder cancer is managed with neoadjuvant therapy followed by bladder removal (cystectomy). Research shows that approximately 40% of patient will have no remaining cancer left in their bladder after completion of the initial systemic treatment, and perhaps could have avoided the surgery. However, currently physicians lack the ability to identify these patients. The investigators believe that by using advanced imaging (MRI), bladder biopsies and novel biomarkers that detect tumor DNA in blood, they can better identify participants without any remaining cancer after chemotherapy. This will make active surveillance of these participants safer. In this study, participants without evidence of residual cancer will be randomized to active surveillance vs conventional bladder treatment (bladder removal, or chemo-radiation of the bladder). This study will be a pilot randomized control trial (RCT), and if successful, it will transition to a larger phase 3 RCT.

Who can join (things the study team will check)

✅ You may be able to join if…

• Male or female >18 years
• Primary urothelial or predominantly (>50%) urothelial carcinoma of the bladder with histologic evidence of muscularis propria invasion.
• Clinical stage T2-T4aN0M0 (Radiographic lymphadenopathy greater than 1.5 cm in short axis by imaging must be proven by biopsy to be free of cancer)
• No concomitant multifocal carcinoma in situ; a single focus is allowed.
• ECOG performance status 0, 1, or 2.
• Participants must be able to undergo pelvis MRI.
• Medically appropriate candidate for radical cystectomy (assessed by uro-oncologist) or chemo-radiation (assess by radiation-oncologist and medical-oncologist)
• Participants must be candidate to received standard of care (SOC) neoadjuvant systemic treatment at time of enrolment (assessed by medical-oncologist): 4 or more cycles of cisplatin-based chemotherapy (gemcitabine/cisplatin (GC) or methotrexate/vinblastine/Adriamycin/cisplatin (MVAC) or dose-dense MVAC (ddMVAC). If SOC evolves from the time of trial design and enrolment, eligibility to any SOC NAT (for example immunotherapy and/or antibody drug conjugate, as per NCCN guideline) will be allowed.
• Adequate bladder function and/or absence of significant urethral stricture to allow cystoscopic surveillance, as evaluate by urologist.

🚫 You may not be able to join if…

• Any component of small cell or plasmacytoid histology.
• Prior systemic chemotherapy or immunotherapy (an anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, anti-PD-L2, anti-CTLA-4 antibody, or any other antibody or drug specifically targeting T-cell co-stimulation or immune checkpoint pathways) or antibody-drug conjugate (NECTIN-4, HER2 or other) : Participants who have received any previous systemic therapy for urothelial carcinoma or cytotoxic chemotherapy, immunotherapy or other targeted therapy for another malignancy within 2 year of study entry are ineligible.
• No available bladder tumor tissue from prior TURBT for tumor sequencing.
• Prior or concurrent malignancy of any other site EXCEPT for non-melanoma skin cancer OR low risk malignancy not requiring treatment (such as prostate cancer Grade Group 1 under adequate surveillance, carcinoma in situ of the breast, cervix, etc.) AND unless free of disease for ≥ 5 years. Other cancers at low risk of recurrence may be allowed after review by principal investigator.
• Prior radiation therapy for bladder cancer.
• Participants who have received experimental agents within 4 weeks of study entry.
• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection (defined by current oral or intravenous antibiotic therapy), symptomatic congestive heart failure (NYHA >2), unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
• Pregnancy. People of childbearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test before general anesthesia procedure and MRI
• No concurrent treatment on another clinical trial; supportive care trials or non-therapeutic trials (e.g., quality of life) are allowed.

Where this trial is running

• Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Who to contact

Marie-Pier St-Laurent, MD · 604-875-5003 · mst-laurent@prostatecentre.com

It's completely normal to call and ask questions before deciding anything. Mention the study ID: NCT06537154.