Implications for Efficacy and Safety of Total Dose and Dose-Intensity of Neoadjuvant Gemcitabine-Cisplatin in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer:Three-Week Versus Four-Week Regimen

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy is standard care prior to radical cystectomy in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). OBJECTIVE: To assess efficacy and safety of two commonly used neoadjuvant schedules with different total doses and dose-intensities of gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC). METHODS: Data were collected retrospectively from all patients treated between 2010 and 2018 with neoadjuvant chemotherapy according to clinical routine at seven centres in Sweden and Denmark. Patients in Sweden received three cycles of a 4-week schedule (GC-4w: cisplatin 70 mg/m2 day 1, gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 days 1, 8, 15, q 28 days) and in Denmark four cycles of a 3-week schedule (GC-3w: cisplatin 70 mg/m2 day 1, gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 days 1, 8, q 21 days). Primary endpoint was pathological response at cystectomy (pT0N0 and