First-line treatment and prognostic factors of metastatic bladder cancer for platinum-eligible patients.

Overview

Metastatic urothelial carcinoma is primarily a disease of the elderly, with a median overall survival of approximately 15 months. Cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy is standard first-line treatment for eligible patients, with carboplatin-based regimens used as an alternative for patients considered unfit to receive cisplatin. Prognostic models incorporating clinical risk factors have been validated, and molecular characteristics that predict for treatment response are under investigation. This review summarizes the current status of first-line treatment of metastatic urothelial carcinoma in platinum-eligible patients as well as prognostic and predictive models in this disease.