Doctors are praising a medication that allows bladder cancer patients to avoid major surgery and reduces tumor recurrence. Bladder cancer ranks as the ninth most common worldwide. Severe cases often require full bladder removal, forcing patients to adapt to new urine drainage methods permanently. An immunotherapy agent called durvalumab has shown it can eliminate the cancer, stop its return and eliminate the need for such operations. A study by the Institute of Cancer Research in London found that combining the drug with chemotherapy and radiotherapy lowered recurrence risk without surgery. Findings were shared in Chicago at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting. Professor Nick James noted that earlier work showed chemotherapy with radiation helped patients, and adding immunotherapy further cuts recurrences while preserving the bladder and daily function. The phase-two trial, supported by AstraZeneca and the University of Birmingham, involved 54 patients and showed no return of cancer in 85 percent of cases, compared with 60 percent using only chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Durvalumab works by enabling the immune system to detect and attack hidden cancer cells. Experts say these results mark progress toward gentler treatments that maintain quality of life, though larger studies are still needed.
