Novel anticancer therapy in BCG unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Many patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) failed intravesical BCG therapy. Currently, radical cystectomy is the recommended standard of care for those patients. There is unfortunately no effective other second-line therapy recommended. In this review, we present the topics of BCG unresponsive NMIBC; definition, prognosis, and further treatment options: immunotherapy, intravesical chemotherapy, gene therapy, and targeted individualized therapy. There are major challenges of the management of NMIBC who failed BCG therapy as many patients refuse or are unfit for radical cystectomy. Multiple new modalities currently under investigation in ongoing clinical trials to better treat this category of patients. Immunotherapy, especially PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, offers exciting and potentially effective strategies for the treatment of BCG unresponsive NMIBC. As the data expands, it is sure that soon there will be established new guidelines for NMIBC.