A groundbreaking phase 3 clinical trial, led by researchers at the University of Sheffield and Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London, has shown that the addition of the immunotherapy drug durvalumab to standard chemotherapy and surgery significantly improves survival rates for patients with operable bladder cancer. Patients treated with durvalumab were 32% less likely to experience disease progression, recurrence, not undergoing surgery, or death, and overall survival rates were 25% higher compared to those treated with chemotherapy and surgery alone.
Bladder cancer, the 9th most common cancer in the UK, has seen stagnant survival rates for many years, with 17,000 new cases and 5,000 deaths annually in England. The disease also incurs the highest lifetime treatment costs per patient among all cancers, primarily due to its high recurrence rate and the need for ongoing invasive monitoring.
Professor James Catto, a leading figure in the study, hailed the findings as a major breakthrough, offering hope to thousands of patients. The treatment not only improved survival rates but also reduced the risk of cancer returning without additional serious side effects, a significant consideration for patients undergoing chemotherapy.
The international NIAGARA phase 3 clinical trial, funded and led by AstraZeneca, involved 1,063 patients across the globe, including at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, indicate that durvalumab was well tolerated, with no new safety signals observed.
Looking ahead, the Sheffield team aims to identify which patients benefit most from this treatment through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) GUSTO trial, which employs genomic subtypes for a more personalized treatment approach. This research aligns with the University of Sheffield's cancer research strategy, focusing on preventing cancer-related deaths through high-quality research and more effective treatments.
