Gemcitabine and docetaxel for high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: EuroGemDoce group results

To evaluate the oncological efficacy and safety of sequential intravesical gemcitabine/docetaxel (Gem/Doce) therapy in a European cohort of patients with high-risk and very-high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) after previous Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) treatment.

Data were retrospectively collected from 95 patients with NMIBC, treated with Gem/Doce at 12 European centres between 2021 and 2024. Patients previously treated with BCG who had completed a full induction course and received at least one follow-up evaluation were included. One-year disease-free survival (DFS), high-grade DFS and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier curves. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded through medical interviews.

Of 75 patients, 63 (84%) were classified as having high-risk and 12 (16%) as having very-high-risk NMIBC. Over a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 9 (5-14) months, 20 patients (27%) relapsed and five (6.7%) underwent radical cystectomy. The 1-year DFS was 73% (95% confidence interval [CI] 62-86%), 1-year high-grade DFS was 79% (95% CI 68-91%) and 1-year PFS was 95% (95% CI 90-100%). AEs occurred in 34 patients (45%), with six (8.7%) experiencing severe AEs. Limitations of the study include the short follow-up and variability in both treatment dwelling times and dosage across centres.

The intravesical Gem/Doce regimen demonstrated promising short-term oncological outcomes and was well tolerated in this cohort of patients with high- and very-high-risk NMIBC previously treated with BCG. Prospective studies and randomised trials are awaited to define the ideal candidates for Gem/Doce therapy and to standardise treatment protocols.