New combo aims to wipe out rare bladder cancer before surgery

NCT ID NCT05312671

Recruiting now Disease control Sponsor: Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This Phase II trial is testing whether adding the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab to standard chemotherapy (platinum and etoposide) before bladder removal surgery can completely eliminate the cancer in people with a rare, aggressive form of bladder cancer called small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. About 63 participants will receive the drug combination, then undergo surgery to remove the bladder. The main goal is to see how many have no cancer left in the removed bladder tissue.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Atezolizumab (Tecentriq) plus platinum chemotherapy (carboplatin or cisplatin) and etoposide
What this could lead to: If successful, this combination could become a new standard treatment before surgery for this rare and aggressive bladder cancer, potentially improving the chance of complete tumor removal.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase (Phase II) trial with no control group, so results may not be definitive. The treatment involves strong chemotherapy and major surgery, which carry significant side effects and risks.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

bladder transitional cell carcinoma urinary bladder carcinoma Urinary Bladder Neoplasms urinary bladder small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma urothelial carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

BLADDER CANCER SMALL CELL NEUROENDOCRINE CARCINOMA OF BLADDER UROTHELIAL CARCINOMA BLADDER

Contacts and locations

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Locations

Johns Hopkins University: Sibley Memorial Hospital
RECRUITING

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20016, United States
Johns Hopkins University: Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
RECRUITING

Baltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States

Contact Email: •••••@•••••

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