A Phase II Trial Evaluating an Organ-conserving Strategy by Radiochemotherapy for Muscle-infiltrative Bladder Cancer

Trial details

Who runs it

Institut du Cancer de Montpellier - Val d'Aurelle

Trial code

NCT01495676

Record updated

10 October 2025

Original description

If radical cystectomy remains the standard of care for muscle invasive bladder cancer, consequences of this surgical procedure are often harsh. Over the past years, concurrent chemo-radiotherapy has imposed itself as an alternative treatment. Published data on concomitant radiochemotherapy (radiotherapy/cisplatin or radiotherapy/cisplatin/5-fluorouracil combinations) showed local control rates with bladder preservation at 5 years ranging from 40% to 65% according to the disease stage, and overall survival probabilities ranging from 40% to 50% at 5 years. In order to improve local and systemic prognosis, evaluation of other chemotherapy agents with higher radiosensitizing effect, such as gemcitabine, is justified. Gemcitabine possesses its own anti-cancer activities on urothelial diseases and has a synergetic activity with cisplatin. The investigators completed a monocenter phase I study combining radiotherapy, cisplatin, and twice-weekly gemcitabine, and determined a recommended dose of gemcitabine 25 mg/m². The objective of the present study is to evaluate the combination of radiotherapy + cisplatin + gemcitabine in terms of disease-free survival in non metastatic muscle invasive urothelial cancer patients.Read full original descriptionShow less

A Randomized Phase II Trial Evaluating an Organ-conserving Strategy With Radiotherapy + CDDP + Gemcitabine vs Radiotherapy + CDDP in Muscle-infiltrative Bladder Cancer

If radical cystectomy remains the standard of care for muscle invasive bladder cancer, consequences of this surgical procedure are often harsh. Over the past years, concurrent chemo-radiotherapy has imposed itself as an alternative treatment. Published data on concomitant radiochemotherapy (radiotherapy/cisplatin or radiotherapy/cisplatin/5-fluorouracil combinations) showed local control rates with bladder preservation at 5 years ranging from 40% to 65% according to the disease stage, and overall survival probabilities ranging from 40% to 50% at 5 years. In order to improve local and systemic prognosis, evaluation of other chemotherapy agents with higher radiosensitizing effect, such as gemcitabine, is justified. Gemcitabine possesses its own anti-cancer activities on urothelial diseases and has a synergetic activity with cisplatin. The investigators completed a monocenter phase I study combining radiotherapy, cisplatin, and twice-weekly gemcitabine, and determined a recommended dose of gemcitabine 25 mg/m². The objective of the present study is to evaluate the combination of radiotherapy + cisplatin + gemcitabine in terms of disease-free survival in non metastatic muscle invasive urothelial cancer patients.

Inclusion: Muscle invasive urothelial cancer (front line or following the progression of a superficial tumor), pT2-pT3 stage without lymphatic impairment (N0) and without detectable metastases (M0). An optimal macroscopic resection (TURB) have to be performed; The proof of invasive tumor to the muscle should be brought by a transurethral resection under anaesthesia less than 8 weeks before or, in the absence, by superficial biopsies and formal imaging. Multiples biopsies in the bladder must also be performed; Age ≥ 18 years; Life expectancy ≥ 6 months; Kanorfsky index ≥ 70 % (WHO 0, 1, 2); Biological criteria: neutrophils ≥ 1500/mm3, Platelets ≥ 100 000/mm3, haemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dl, creatinine clearance > 60 ml/mn; No distant metastases (Thorax, abdomen, and pelvic CT-scan, bone scan); Efficient contraception for premenopausal women, maintained during the whole treatment and up to two months after the completion of radiotherapy; No radiotherapy or chemotherapy history except for in situ bladder lesions; No carcinological history except for non melanoma skin tumours, in situ uterine cervix cancer; No contraindication to gemcitabine or cisplatin; No contraindication to radiotherapy; Information letter and informed consent signed; Patient covered by social security.

Exclusion: Bladder tumors without any muscle infiltration; Epidermoid carcinoma or adenocarcinoma; Distance metastases or extrapelvic node positivity; Severe digestive history (ulcerative colitis, complicated diverticulitis); Pregnancy and breast feeding.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01495676