Maria Middelares researchers achieve significant breakthroughs in the fight against bladder cancer

More than 200, 000 people worldwide die each year from urothelial cell cancer, a type of cancer affecting the bladder or upper urinary tract. Maria Middelares Clinical Research Centre, which is part of the innovative Health Value Space Ghent, was actively involved as a Belgian research centre in several pioneering studies on the treatment of that type of cancer in recent years. Recently, the same researchers published a study about a treatment that dramatically improves the cure and survival rates of patients with urothelial cell cancer. 'It is an unprecedented breakthrough,' echoes Prof Christof Vulsteke, co-author of these studies. The latest study was published in March in 'The New England Journal of Medicine', one of the leading medical journals within oncology.

'Until now, patients with advanced or metastatic bladder cancer had an average survival time of 13 to 15 months with conventional chemotherapy. The study revealed that, in the treatment of urothelial carcinoma, the combination of the medications ‘enfortumab vedotin’ and ‘pembrolizumab’ resulted in a doubling of the survival chances for the experimental group.

Importantly, 67.7% of patients in the experimental group showed significant and sustained suppression of the cancer, compared to 44.4% in the group receiving conventional chemotherapy. In the latter group, the suppression of the cancer was also found to be much less sustained. Even more impressive is that in 30% of the experimental group, the cancer was no longer visible on scans (completely suppressed). In the group receiving chemotherapy, it was 12%. Although the cancer had spread throughout the body, many patients in the experimental group still showed no visible signs of cancer after years of follow-up.

The results of this promising study shift the boundaries towards the cure of metastatic bladder cancer. The treatment prolongs life and the disease does not return or it returns less quickly. It is a study with global impact that will significantly change the approach to bladder cancer.

Prof Christof Vulsteke: 'We are extremely proud that our study team has helped many patients with this and that we can now share these impressive results widely. Patients at Maria Middelares had already received this treatment four years ago. We anticipate approval by the European Medicines Agency by the summer and hope that this treatment will soon be available in Belgium for all patients who have urothelial carcinoma. Congratulations to our team and clinical study coordinators and, by extension, to everyone who made this possible. Special thanks also to our patients and their families who put their trust in us.'

Teamwork at Health Value Space Ghent

The Clinical Research Centre (CRC) is part of the new Health Value Space Ghent (HVS). HVS consists of three pillars, where collaboration with diverse partners aims to explore innovative ideas that enhance the quality of care: the Clinical Research Centre (CRC), quality and value-based healthcare and innovation. With the CRC, Maria Middelares provides patients access to and an advantage in progressive treatment methods.