Tislelizumab with gemcitabine and cisplatin as a neoadjuvant regimen for muscle-invasive bladder cancer: case series

Ze Wang; Yapeng Wang; Shuo Wang; Qiang Ran; Song Peng; Yao Zhang; Jun Zhang; Dianzheng Zhang; Luofu Wang; Weihua Lan; Qiuli Liu; Jun Jiang

doi:10.1097/MS9.0000000000001533

Tislelizumab with gemcitabine and cisplatin as a neoadjuvant regimen for muscle-invasive bladder cancer: case series

Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2023 Nov 20;86(1):245-251. doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000001533. eCollection 2024 Jan.

Authors

Ze Wang¹, Yapeng Wang¹, Shuo Wang¹, Qiang Ran¹, Song Peng¹, Yao Zhang¹, Jun Zhang¹, Dianzheng Zhang², Luofu Wang¹, Weihua Lan¹, Qiuli Liu¹, Jun Jiang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Urology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.
² Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.

Abstract

Introduction and importance: The feasibility of combined tislelizumab with gemcitabine and cisplatin as a neoadjuvant regimen for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) remains to be investigated.

Case presentation: The neoadjuvant treatment not only shrunk tumours significantly but also lowered their stages from T4bN1M0, T3N0M0, and T3bN0M0 to pT1, pT0 and pTis, respectively. The treatment suppressed tumour cell proliferation and promoted luminal-to-basal transition.

Clinical discussion: MIBC is an aggressive bladder cancer with poor prognosis. All three patients with MIBC benefited greatly from the neoadjuvant regimen (tislelizumab + gemcitabine + cisplatin). It appears that the effect of the treatment is independent of the levels of programmed death-ligand 1 nor the subtype of urothelial bladder cancer.

Conclusion: Combination of tislelizumab with gemcitabine and cisplatin appeared to be a safe and efficacious neoadjuvant therapy for MIBC.

Keywords: case series; muscle-invasive bladder cancer; neoadjuvant therapy; pathological response; tislelizumab.