Gene therapy shows promise for bladder cancer patients

Reporter: Amy Oshier
Published: Updated:

A breakthrough in bladder cancer treatment is offering new hope to patients.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 83,000 new cases of bladder cancer will be diagnosed this year, with nearly 17,000 fatalities.

A new gene therapy is now providing patients with a greater chance of survival. WINK News Health and Medical Reporter Amy Oshier shared the latest developments.

Smoking is responsible for about half of all bladder cancer cases, and 90% of those diagnosed are older than 55. People working in printing, painting, and hair salons are at a higher risk.

“Bladder cancer is the seventh most common cancer in the United States,” said a medical expert.

Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is the most common form, accounting for approximately 75% of cases.

“That means like a localized cancer not invading to the deepest layer of the bladder that is muscle,” said the expert.

Chemotherapy and immunotherapy are the first-line treatments, but the cancer often returns, leading to the removal of the entire bladder.

“That comes like all kind of the side effects and the morbidity with that,” said the expert.

Doctors at UC San Diego are among the first in the country to offer an FDA-approved gene therapy treatment that might prevent the need for bladder removal surgery.

“Gene therapy that we administrate in the bladder. It’s a virus that carries on some gene with it; that gene can increase your immune response,” said the expert.

The therapy involves inserting a catheter into the bladder to deliver a virus-carrying genetic material. This stimulates the production of interferon, a natural substance that boosts the body’s immune system to fight the cancer and halt its growth.

“54% of the patients that received this treatment had a complete response at three months,” said the expert.

While it’s too early to confirm if this will be a bladder preservation option for all patients, doctors see it as a promising first step towards saving and curing the bladder.

Common symptoms of bladder cancer include blood in the urine, pain during urination, weak urine flow, urgency to urinate, lower back pain, fatigue, swelling of feet, and loss of appetite.

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