Efficacy of Intravesical Gemcitabine and Docetaxel for Non-Muscle Invasive Urothelial Bladder Cancer: A Review of Current Literature

Abstract

Objective: To determine the efficacy of sequential intravesical Gemcitabine and Docetaxel (siGD) in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) in preventing disease recurrence after transurethral resection, as an alternative to BCG-naïve patients or to failed intravesical BCG therapy.

Methods: An extensive literature search on the use of siGD for BCG-naïve or BCG-refractory NMIBC was done using the following terms: non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, intravesical Gemcitabine and Docetaxel. Search results were filtered to include all retrospective studies and randomized controlled trials reporting the oncological outcomes of siGD published over the last 5 years from the conception of this study. Information on the safety profile and adverse events related to therapy were also reported, if available.

Results: The authors’ search yielded 8 retrospective articles describing the efficacy of siGD for NMIBC, 5 of which had complete and accessible English manuscripts. A total of 476 low to high-risk NMIBC patients were included in the 5 eligible studies, 31 (6.5%) of which were BCG-naïve, while the rest failed BCG therapy. The reported one and two-year success rates were 54-69% and 34-55%, respectively. The recurrence-free survival rates at 1 and 2 years were 49-60% and 29-46%, respectively. Bladder cancer-specific mortality at 1 and 2-years were 1-3% and 4-11%, respectively. Treatment-related adverse reactions were mostly mild, the most common of which were urinary frequency, urgency, hematuria, and dysuria.

Conclusion: Sequential intravesical Gemcitabine and Docetaxel is a feasible alternative for BCG-naïve and BCG-refractory NMIBC patients. Oncological outcomes are comparable to BCG therapy with less adverse effects.