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NCT06990061Recruiting

Radiotherapy for BCG-unresponsive Non-muscle-invasive Carcinoma in Situ (CIS) Bladder Cancer: an Open-label, Single-arm, Multicentre, Phase 2 Study

Radiotherapy for BCG-unresponsive Non-muscle-invasive Carcinoma in Situ (CIS) Bladder Cancer

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 11 Sept 2026

Brief summary (registry, in English)

Standard treatment for patients with high-risk NMIBC (high-grade Ta, CIS, or any T1) consists of intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy. However, BCG, even administered optimally, does not provide absolute protection and BCG failure is generally considered recurrence or progression during therapy. Patients who are BCG-unresponsive have a 20-40% risk for progression to muscle-invasive bladder cancer within 5 years, and a 50% risk of developing metastatic disease. For these patients, radical cystectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection and urinary diversion is the standard of care. However, many patients are unable to undergo radical cystectomy because of poor performance status and co-morbidities or decline to undergo surgery. Although, several phase II studies have shown promising results, none of the drugs are presently available in Europe. An alternative approach is to investigate a possible role for radiotherapy in good prognosis bladder cancer patients. As there is little existing data in NMIBC, the example of bladder preservation in MIBC will be used for guidance. We aim to evaluate the use of radiotherapy in patients with high-grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer who have BCG failure in a single-arm design as per FDA guidelines for this setting. The primary objective is to demonstrate that complete response to treatment 6 months post radiotherapy is seen in more than 30% of patients with BCG-unresponsive, non-muscle invasive carcinoma in situ bladder cancer, unfit or unwilling to undergo radical cystectomy. Patients with BCG unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer according to the EAU guidelines will be treated 20 fractions of 2.75 Gy over 4 weeks with the use of radiosensitisers as per local guidelines. Cystoscopy and urine cytology assessments will be performed at 3 and 6 months from the start of radiotherapy. If either assessment is positive, bladder biopsies or TURBT are required. At the 6-month timepoint, biopsy or TURBT is mandatory. Disease assessments beyond 6 months will be at the treating urologist's discretion.

Status (registry)
Recruiting
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
50 (estimated)
First submitted
9 May 2025
Start date
23 Jul 2026
Primary completion date
1 Dec 2028
Lead sponsor
European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer - EORTC
NCT number
NCT06990061

What you commit to

  • Study type: Interventional
  • Planned participants: 50
  • From 23 Jul 2026 to the primary completion date, 1 Dec 2028
  • 3 sites in 1 country
  • Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them

Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.

Who cannot take part

Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.

Prior treatment

  • Patients who have received pelvic external beam radiotherapy within the previous 5 years

Other illness

  • Hydronephrosis due to tumour in the presence of T1 disease
  • Patients on current systemic therapy for bladder cancer
  • Any known contraindications or allergies to the use of local standard of care radiosensitiser, if applicable

Other

  • Evidence of muscle invasive or metastatic urothelial carcinoma
  • Evidence of upper urinary tract carcinoma
  • Poor bladder function (IPSS \>16)

Who the study is looking for

  • Histologically confirmed, BCG-unresponsive, high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (according to EAU guidelines \[2\] (see table 1)) °of predominantly (\>50%) urothelial histology who were ineligible for or declined to undergo radical cystectomy.
    • Patients with carcinoma in situ with or without high-grade Ta or T1 are allowed if patients with concomitant Ta and T1 tumors have undergone complete TURBT, defined as per standard of care as a visually complete resection. A second TURBT is recommended but not required for patients with T1 tumor.
    • The most recent cystoscopy or TURBT must have been done within 12 weeks before study enrolment.
    • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2
    • Adequate organ function (at minimum WBC \> 4.0 × 109/L; platelets \> 100 × 109/L; GFR \> 25mL/min)
    • 18 years or older
    • Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must have a negative serum pregnancy test within 72 hrs prior to the first day of radiation.
    • Patients of childbearing / reproductive potential should use adequate birth control measures during the study treatment period and for at least 4 weeks after the last day of radiation. A highly effective method of birth control is defined as a method which results in a low failure rate (i.e., less than 1% per year) when used consistently and correctly. Such methods include:
    • Combined (oestrogen and progestogen containing) hormonal contraception associated with inhibition of ovulation (oral, intravaginal, transdermal)
    • Progestogen-only hormonal contraception associated with inhibition of ovulation (oral, injectable, implantable)
    • Intrauterine device (IUD)
    • Intrauterine hormone-releasing system (IUS)
    • Bilateral tubal occlusion
    • Vasectomized partner
    • Sexual abstinence (the reliability of sexual abstinence needs to be evaluated in relation to the duration of the clinical trial and the preferred and usual lifestyle of the patient)
    • Before patient 's enrolment, written informed consent must be given according to ICH/GCP, and national/local regulations.

Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers

Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov

Sites (3)

Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.

SiteCityCountrySite status
Institut Jules Bordet
Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status
AnderlechtBelgiumRecruiting
Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc
Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status
BrusselsBelgiumRecruiting
Ziekenhuis aan de Stroom
Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status
WilrijkBelgiumRecruiting

This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.