A trial looking at chemotherapy for advanced cancer of the bladder, kidney, urethra or ureter (the urothelial tract) (EORTC 30986)

This trial compared methotrexate, carboplatin and vinblastine (M-CAVI) chemotherapy with gemcitabine and carboplatin (GemCarbo) chemotherapy, to see which works best for cancers of the urothelial tract.

The urothelial tract includes the

• Centre of the kidney (renal pelvis)

• Ureter - the tube that takes urine from the kidney to the bladder

• Bladder

• Urethra - the tube that drains urine from the bladder and out of the body

Doctors usually treat cancer of the urothelial tract with chemotherapy, often including cisplatin. But not everyone with advanced urothelial cancer is well enough for cisplatin. So this trial looked at 2 combinations of chemotherapy that didn’t include it.

The aims of this trial were to find out which combination of chemotherapy

• Is better for advanced urothelial tract cancer

• Causes fewest side effects