Bladder cancer has long been considered a “Cinderella cancer” by Dr. Thomas Powles, a urologist at Queen Mary University of London. This type of cancer has been neglected and overlooked, receiving minimal attention or resources compared to other cancers. The available treatments for bladder cancer have not been very effective, and the prognosis for most patients is grim, with many dying within a year of diagnosis.
For over twenty years, Powles has been dedicated to improving survival rates for bladder cancer patients. In 2023, he conducted a study testing a new combination of treatments. While he had some hope for the potential impact of the new drug combination, he remained realistic given the past failures of other treatment combinations. To his surprise, the new drug combination, which combines a medication that boosts the immune system with an antibody targeted to bladder cancer cells carrying a chemotherapy agent, more than doubled the median survival rate of patients.
The success of this new drug combination has brought newfound attention and hope to the field of bladder cancer research. The once dismissed and overlooked disease is now receiving recognition and optimism. Additionally, Powles believes that this approach could lead to even more effective treatments for bladder cancer and potentially other hard-to-treat cancers like head and neck and certain types of breast cancer. He envisions a future where bladder cancer can be cured using this innovative approach.