A trial looking at 3 cycles of chemotherapy for urothelial cancer (urinary tract cancer) (DISCUS)

The following bullet points are a summary of the entry conditions for this trial. Talk to your doctor or the trial team if you are unsure about any of these. They will be able to advise you. 

Who can take part

You may be able to join this trial if all of the following apply. You:

• have urothelial cancer that has grown into surrounding tissues and you can’t have surgery to remove it, or the cancer has spread to another part of the body
• have cancer that your doctor can measure on a scan
• are suitable to have gemcitabine and cisplatin or gemcitabine and carboplatin
• have satisfactory blood test results
• are willing to use reliable contraception during the trial and for a period after if there is any chance you or your partner could become pregnant
• are up and about more than half the day, you can look after yourself but might not be able to work (performance status 0, 1 or 2)
• are at least 18 years old 

Who can’t take part

Cancer related 
You cannot join this trial if any of these apply. You:

• have cancer that has spread to the brain or spinal cord unless it isn’t causing symptoms, has been treated and is stable
• have had avelumab or a similar drug in the past
• have had treatment to the whole body (systemic treatment)  for cancer that has spread elsewhere in the body or grown into the surrounding tissues. You may be able to take part if you had treatment with a platinum drug  such as carboplatin or cisplatin.
• have an area of cancer that is bleeding
• have had another cancer that has got worse or needed treatment in the past 3 years unless it has a low chance of coming back. You can join if it was successfully treated non melanoma skin cancer , carcinoma in situ (CIS ), localised prostate cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS ) of the breast
• are taking part in another clinical trial unless it doesn’t involve a treatment 

Medical conditions
You cannot join this trial if any of these apply. You:

• are having steroids  unless you are on a low dose
• have had treatment to stimulate the immune system  This includes interferon in the last 4 weeks or if treatment hasn’t completely cleared your body.
• have had a heart attack or stroke in the last 6 months or a significant heart problem  that needs treatment. The trial team check if you have a heart condition before you join the trial.
• have had a transplant with someone else’s cells (allogeneic transplant ) or an organ transplant
• have had recent radiotherapy
• have had major surgery in the last 4 weeks
• have scarring on the lungs or active inflammation of the lungs (pneumonitis )
• have HIV, an active hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection, active tuberculosis or any other severe infection that needs treatment
• have an autoimmune condition  that needs treatment apart from certain ones. Your doctor will know about this.
• have side effects from treatment that aren’t getting better unless they are mild. You can join the trial if you have hearing loss or tingling in your hands or feet. 

Other
You can’t join this trial if any of these apply. You:

• are allergic to any of the drugs on the trial or anything they contain
• can’t have the chemotherapy drugs used in this trial for any reason
• are pregnant or breastfeeding
• have had a live vaccination  within the last 4 weeks. Please note that the current approved COVID-19 vaccines are allowed as they aren’t live.