Hyperthermia for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

Area of Science:

• Uro-oncology
• Neoadjuvant and adjuvant cancer therapies
• Clinical research methodology

Background:

• Recurrent non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) poses significant treatment challenges.
• Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) therapy failures necessitate alternative treatment strategies.
• Chemohyperthermia (CHT) has emerged as a promising adjuvant therapy for select NMIBC patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the current role and future perspectives of chemohyperthermia (CHT) in managing NMIBC.
• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of CHT in various risk categories of NMIBC.
• To identify patient populations that may benefit most from CHT, including BCG-refractory cases.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
• Analysis of 30 selected articles reporting on chemohyperthermia (CHT) for NMIBC.
• Assessment of safety, tolerability, and efficacy data from included studies.

Main Results:

• Chemohyperthermia (CHT) demonstrates a favorable safety profile and good tolerability in NMIBC patients.
• CHT shows effectiveness in treating low and intermediate-risk NMIBC.
• CHT is a viable option for selected high-risk NMIBC patients and those with BCG treatment failure.

Conclusions:

• Chemohyperthermia (CHT) is a safe and well-tolerated treatment for NMIBC.
• CHT is effective for low- and intermediate-risk NMIBC and may benefit selected high-risk and BCG-failure cases.
• Further clinical trials are essential to refine CHT protocols and identify optimal patient selection criteria.