Dr. Gupta on Developing Biomarkers of Lack of Response in Urothelial Carcinoma

Shilpa Gupta, MD, medical oncologist, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, discusses the need to develop biomarkers of lack of response to immunotherapy in urothelial carcinoma.

Around 25% of patients with urothelial carcinoma will respond to immunotherapy, Gupta explains. Biomarkers of lack of response could inform which patients are unlikely to derive benefit from immunotherapy.

Additionally, developing these biomarkers could potentially provide insight into mechanisms of resistance for patients who progress rapidly on immunotherapy, Gupta says. Early data suggest that TGF-β could be a mediator of resistance; however, additional research is needed to understand the biomarker component of those findings, concludes Gupta.