Perioperative Immunotherapy in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Strategies.
Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol)Jun 26, 2026 (epub)
C V Suartz, I M T Huber, P H de S Brito et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of perioperative immunotherapy in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) across 42 studies involving 6006 patients. Neoadjuvant immunotherapy achieved a pooled pathological complete response rate of 38.92%, with overall survival at 82.33% and recurrence-free survival at 77.78%. The study highlights the promising outcomes of immunotherapy in MIBC treatment.
Key findings
- Neoadjuvant immunotherapy achieved a pooled pathological complete response rate of 38.92%.
- Pooled overall survival in the neoadjuvant setting was 82.33%.
- In the adjuvant setting, pooled 3-year overall survival was 63%.
- Grade 3-4 immune-related adverse events occurred in 11% of adjuvant patients.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that perioperative immunotherapy can significantly improve outcomes in MIBC, offering clinicians insights into potential treatment strategies that enhance patient survival and response rates.