Key Takeaways From the NIAGARA Trial for Patients With MIBC
June 16, 2025
Key Points
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The importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in muscle-invasive bladder (MIBC) cancer treatment planning.
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Addressing the underuse of platinum-based neoadjuvant therapy.
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How durvalumab expands options for patients with MIBC who have impaired renal function.
At the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, Neal Shore, MD, FACS, of Carolina Urologic Research Center and Atlantic Urology Clinics, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, emphasized how critical multidisciplinary care is for the treatment of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) during a roundtable discussion.
Historically, platinum-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been underutilized in the community oncology setting. However, real-world data and findings from the NIAGARA trial demonstrated a survival benefit by giving durvalumab plus platinum-based therapy before surgery.
Dr. Shore reinforced the need for early collaboration between urologic oncologists, medical oncologists, and other care team members—whether through tumor boards or streamlined referral pathways—to ensure accurate staging and optimal treatment planning.
In addition, Dr. Shore identified three key findings from the novel trial including the role of durvalumab before cystectomy and patient tolerability.