A trial looking at vinflunine for advanced bladder cancer

Cancer type:

Bladder cancer

Transitional cell cancer

Status:

Results

Phase:

Phase 2

This trial was looking at a new chemotherapy drug called vinflunine to treat advanced bladder cancer.

Doctors may use chemotherapy to treat transitional cell bladder cancer that has spread. In this trial, the researchers wanted to see if vinflunine helps people with advanced transitional cell bladder cancer that has come back or got bigger after treatment with platinum drug Open a glossary item chemotherapy.

The aims of the trial were

To find out how well vinflunine works for treating advanced transitional cell bladder cancer
To learn more about the side effects

Summary of results

From their analysis of results in 2006, the research team say that vinflunine can help people with advanced transitional cell cancer, without causing too many serious side effects.

The trial recruited 51 people. Everybody taking part had vinflunine at least once. The average number of treatments was 4.

In 9 people the cancer slowed or stopped growing - researchers call this partial response
In 25 people the cancer remained the same - researchers call this stable disease
In 14 people the cancer continued to grow
The researchers did not have results for 3 people

The main side effects were a drop in the number of blood cells and constipation, each of which affected about 2 thirds of people.

We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists (peer reviewed Open a glossary item ) and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.