Active — Not RecruitingPhase 3

Testing MK-3475 (Pembrolizumab) After Surgery for Localized Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer and Locally Advanced Urothelial Cancer

United States, Guam739 participantsStarted 2017-11-03

Plain-language summary

This phase III trial studies how well pembrolizumab works in treating patients with bladder cancer that has spread into the deep muscle of the bladder wall (muscle-invasive) or urothelial cancer that has spread from where it started to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced). Monoclonal antibodies recognizing and blocking checkpoint molecules can enhance the patient's immune response and therefore help fight cancer. Pembrolizumab is one of the monoclonal antibodies that block the PD-1 axis and can interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow.

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Inclusion Criteria: * PRE-REGISTRATION ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA * Histologically confirmed muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder, urethra, upper tract, or lymph node positive (LN+) disease; variant histology allowed as long as urothelial carcinoma is predominant (any amount of squamous differentiation is allowed); any component of neuroendocrine carcinoma is excluded * Paraffin tissue samples obtained by transurethral resection of muscle-invasive bladder tumor, upper tract resection, or radical cystectomy/nephrectomy/ureterectomy/nephroureterectomy/cystoprostatectomy or urethrectomy must be available; this specimen submission is mandatory prior to registration as results will be used for stratification; specimens from radical/definitive surgery (radical cystectomy/nephrectomy/ureterectomy /nephroureterectomy/cystoprostatectomy and LN dissection) are preferred over transurethral resection, if available * Patient must fit into one of the following three categories: * Patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and pathologic stage at surgical resection is \>= pT2 and/or N+ OR * Patients who are not cisplatin-eligible (according to \>= 1 of the following criteria: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group \[ECOG\] performance status of 2, creatinine clearance \< 60 mL/min, grade \>= 2 hearing loss, grade \>= 2 neuropathy, or New York Heart Association class III heart failure and pathologic stage at surgical resection is \>= pT3 or pN+) OR * Patients that decline ad…

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

Overall survival

Timeframe: From randomization to the date of death from any cause, assessed up to 5 years

Disease-free survival

Timeframe: From randomization to the first metastatic recurrence (presence of any recurrent disease), or death, whichever occurs first, assessed up to 5 years

Trial details

NCT IDNCT03244384

SponsorNational Cancer Institute (NCI)

Sponsor typeNIH

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2026-08-08

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Localized Renal Pelvis and Ureter Urothelial Carcinoma trials