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Review
. 2024;108(1):1-8.
doi: 10.1159/000534858. Epub 2023 Dec 21.

Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder: Urgent Call for New Therapies

Séverine Banek  1 , Benedikt Hoeh  1   2 , Cristina Cano Garcia  1   2 , Florestan Koll  1 , Jens Köllermann  3 , Felix K H Chun  1 , Philipp Mandel  1 , Luis A Kluth  1 , Mike Wenzel  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder: Urgent Call for New Therapies

Séverine Banek et al. Urol Int. 2024.

Abstract

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the urinary bladder is the most common non-urothelial variant histology. Currently, upfront radical cystectomy is the gold standard for non-metastatic SCC of the bladder. However, several studies have shown that SCC of the bladder is associated with higher aggressiveness and worse survival outcomes, such as progression-free and cancer-specific survival, relative to the urothelial histological subtype. Moreover, metastatic SCC seems to poorly respond to systemic treatments and/or radiotherapy.

Summary: This review summarizes the current knowledge and medical evidence regarding local and systematic treatment of mSCC of the bladder, including a case series of four initially locally advanced and later metastatic SCC patients of our tertiary care hospital.

Key messages: Despite being the second most common variant histology of bladder cancer, current therapies for SCC do not provide satisfactory therapeutic responses.

Keywords: Bladder cancer; Chemotherapy; Metastatic stages; Squamous cell carcinoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Medical history of four patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder treated at Goethe University Hospital Frankfurt, Germany. BSC, best supportive care.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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