Bladder cancer cocktail aims to wipe out tumors before surgery
NCT ID NCT04630730
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This phase 2 trial tests whether giving a live BCG vaccine directly into the bladder, followed by immunotherapy (atezolizumab) and standard chemotherapy (cisplatin/gemcitabine), can completely clear muscle-invasive bladder cancer before patients undergo bladder removal surgery. The study enrolls 46 adults with stage cT2-cT4a bladder cancer. The goal is to increase the rate of pathological complete remission, which could eventually help some patients avoid radical surgery or radiation.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) bladder instillation, atezolizumab (immunotherapy), cisplatin and gemcitabine (chemotherapy)
What this could lead to
If successful, this combination could increase the chance of eliminating all cancer before bladder removal surgery, potentially allowing some patients to avoid surgery or radiation entirely.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase trial with only 46 participants and no comparison group, so results may not apply broadly. The combination of treatments also carries risks of serious side effects from chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Disclaimer
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This is a summary of
the original study
.
Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Hôpitaux Universitaires Genève HUG
Geneva, 1211, Switzerland
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Istituto Oncologico della Svizzera Italiana - Ospedale Regionale Bellinzona e Valli
Bellinzona, 6500, Switzerland
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Kantonsspital Baden
Baden, 5404, Switzerland
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Kantonsspital Graubuenden
Chur, 7000, Switzerland
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Kantonsspital St. Gallen
Sankt Gallen, 9007, Switzerland
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Klinik Hirslanden - Onkozentrum Hirslanden
Zurich, Canton of Zurich, 8032, Switzerland
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Lindenhofspital
Bern, 3012, Switzerland
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Luzerner Kantonsspital
Lucerne, 6000, Switzerland
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UniversitaetsSpital Zuerich
Zurich, 8091, Switzerland
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Universitaetsspital Basel
Basel, 4031, Switzerland