Bladder cancer is among the most common cancers in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health System and is the most expensive cancer to treat per a patient’s lifetime. Patients in the VA system, which include veterans, current service members and their families, that have bladder cancer tend to have a higher level of medical burden.
Current treatment for advanced-stage bladder cancer is a combination of preoperative chemotherapy, followed by surgery to remove the bladder. Unfortunately, many patients are too sick to receive traditional chemotherapy because of the known side effects.
While there are some new treatments that have fewer side effects than chemotherapy, they are costly and less likely to work. New therapies that are affordable with fewer side effects are needed to provide patients with the best possible outcomes. Potentially providing these patients with a therapeutic option that is financially viable and effective can provide patients the opportunity to realize the potential survival benefit of chemotherapy before bladder removal…
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