The treatment and management of advanced urothelial carcinoma of the bladder is a considerable therapeutic challenge. Prospective, randomized clinical trial data demonstrate a survival advantage for those patients who receive chemotherapy prior to radical cystectomy. Despite the overall survival benefits, results from both institutional and administrative datasets suggest that historical use of a neoadjuvant chemotherapy paradigm is remarkably low. This review will evaluate the recent trends in pre-operative chemotherapy utilization that suggest small, but progressively increased use-currently on the order of 20 % of radical cystectomy patients. Additionally, this analysis will explore the various processes and structural barriers that preclude its receipt such as patient age and comorbidity, as well as physician preference, delay to potentially curable surgery, geographic region, distance to treatment facility, and socioeconomic status.