A031803: Phase II Trial of Intravesical Gemcitabine and MK-3475 (pembrolizumab) in the Treatment Patients with BCG-Unresponsive Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Summary

This phase II trial studies the effect of adding pembrolizumab to gemcitabine in treating patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer whose cancer does not respond to Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) treatment. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine, work in different ways by stopping the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the patient's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Adding pembrolizumab to gemcitabine may delay the return of BCG-unresponsive bladder cancer for longer period compared to gemcitabine alone.

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