Neoadjuvant versus adjuvant chemotherapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer is a deadly disease that often requires more than radical surgery for optimal management. The best level one evidence supports the use of neoadjuvant methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin (MVAC) chemotherapy followed by surgery. There remains controversy, however, with some continuing to argue in favor of selective adjuvant chemotherapy only in the highest risk patients. Certain patients and situations argue in favor of a surgery-first approach, with selective chemotherapy in an adjuvant setting. There is a need for better markers for disease risk and progression in advanced bladder cancer to identify those who would benefit the most from aggressive, multimodal therapy. Further studies are needed to address the ongoing questions that remain in the management of this disease.