A Phase 3 interventional study of Biospecimen Collection and Clinical Observation in Localized Renal Pelvis and Ureter Urothelial Carcinoma, Locally Advanced Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma and Locally Advanced Renal Pelvis and Ureter Urothelial Carcinoma, sponsored by National Cancer Institute (NCI). Active, not recruiting at 914 sites in 2 countries. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-28.
Sponsored by National Cancer Institute (NCI) · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment
This phase III trial studies how well pembrolizumab works in treating patients with bladder cancer that has spread into the deep muscle of the bladder wall (muscle-invasive) or urothelial cancer that has spread from where it started to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced). Monoclonal antibodies recognizing and blocking checkpoint molecules can enhance the patient's immune response and therefore help fight cancer. Pembrolizumab is one of the monoclonal antibodies that block the PD-1 axis and can interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow.
DUAL PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
I. To determine disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in all patients with muscle-invasive bladder and upper-tract urothelial carcinoma treated with adjuvant pembrolizumab versus (vs.) observation.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
I. To determine DFS and OS in PD-L1 positive and negative patients with muscle-invasive bladder and upper-tract urothelial carcinoma treated with adjuvant pembrolizumab vs. observation.
II. To characterize the safety and tolerability of pembrolizumab when administered in the adjuvant setting in patients with muscle-invasive bladder and upper-tract urothelial carcinoma.
CORRELATIVE SCIENCE OBJECTIVES:
I. To determine if the 12 immune gene signatures are associated with OS and DFS.
II. To determine if tumor molecular subtype is associated with OS and DFS. III. To investigate whether the diversity of T-cell receptor (TCR) clonotypes is associated with OS and DFS.
IV. To investigate whether persistence of TCR clonotypes is associated with OS and DFS.
V. To determine if tumor burden and neoantigen burden are associated with OS and DFS.
VI. To determine if HLA subtypes are associated with OS and DFS. VII. To conduct exploratory analyses regarding the association of plasma HGF and VEGF levels with IL-10 and IL-17 and OS and DFS and between treated and untreated patients.
PHARMACOGENOMIC STUDY OBJECTIVES:
I. To investigate the effect of PDCD1 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs11568821 on severe (grade 3 or higher) immune-related toxicity in the pembrolizumab-treated cohort.
II. To investigate whether other SNPs commonly polymorphic within or near PDCD1 associate with development of pembrolizumab toxicity in the treated cohort.
III. To identify novel germline genetic markers of treatment-related toxicity through genome-wide association analysis of pembrolizumab-treated patients.
IV. To identify novel germline genetic markers that are associated with DFS and OS through genome-wide association analysis.
QUALITY OF LIFE CORRELATIVE STUDY OBJECTIVES:
I. To compare health-related quality of life (HRQL) as assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire (QLQ)-core (C)30 between patients randomized to pembrolizumab vs. observation.
II. To compare urinary symptoms as assessed by EORTC QLQ- muscle-invasive bladder cancer module (BLM)30 between patients randomized to pembrolizumab vs. observation.
III. To compare patient-reported fatigue, diarrhea, and pain between patients randomized to pembrolizumab vs. observation.
IV. To compare health utilities and quality-adjusted life year (QALYs) between patients randomized to pembrolizumab vs. observation.
V. To compare other scale scores of the EORTC QLQ-C30, EORTC QLQ-BLM30, and European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions 5 Levels (EQ5D-5L) between patients randomized to pembrolizumab vs. observation.
VI. To compare global quality of life, symptoms, health utilities, QALYs, and other scale scores of the three questionnaires between patients randomized to pembrolizumab vs. observation within subgroups defined by each of the stratification factors.
OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.
ARM A: Patients receive pembrolizumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes on day 1. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 18 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients undergo a computed tomography (CT) scan, CT urography, and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) throughout the trial. Patients may also undergo a cystoscopy and blood sample collection during screening and on study.
ARM B: Patients undergo observation. Patients undergo a CT scan, CT urography, and/or MRI throughout the trial. Patients may also undergo a cystoscopy and blood sample collection during screening and on study.
After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 12 weeks for up 2 years, and then annually for 10 years.
Inclusion Criteria:
Patient must fit into one of the following three categories:
Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
Patients receive pembrolizumab IV over 30 minutes on day 1. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 18 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients undergo a CT scan, CT urography, and/or MRI throughout the trial. Patients may also undergo a cystoscopy and blood sample collection during screening and on study.
Procedure: Biospecimen Collection · Procedure: Computed Tomography · Procedure: CT Urography · Procedure: Cystoscopy · Procedure: Magnetic Resonance Imaging · Biological: Pembrolizumab · Other: Pharmacological Study · Other: Quality-of-Life Assessment · Other: Questionnaire Administration
Patients undergo observation. Patients undergo a CT scan, CT urography, and/or MRI throughout the trial. Patients may also undergo a cystoscopy and blood sample collection during screening and on study.
Procedure: Biospecimen Collection · Other: Clinical Observation · Procedure: Computed Tomography · Procedure: CT Urography · Procedure: Cystoscopy · Procedure: Magnetic Resonance Imaging · Other: Pharmacological Study · Other: Quality-of-Life Assessment · Other: Questionnaire Administration
Undergo blood sample collection
Also known as: Biological Sample Collection, Biospecimen Collected, Sample Collection, Specimen Collection
Undergo observation
Also known as: observation
Undergo a CT scan
Also known as: CAT, CAT Scan, Computed Axial Tomography, Computerized Axial Tomography, Computerized axial tomography (procedure), Computerized Tomography, Computerized Tomography (CT) scan, CT, CT Scan, Diagnostic CAT Scan, Diagnostic CAT Scan Service Type, tomography
Undergo a CT urography
Also known as: Urography Computed Tomography
Undergo a cystoscopy
Also known as: CS
Undergo a MRI
Also known as: Magnetic Resonance, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Magnetic resonance imaging (procedure), Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan, Medical Imaging, Magnetic Resonance / Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, MR, MR Imaging, MRI, MRI Scan, MRIs, NMR Imaging, NMRI, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging, sMRI, Structural MRI
Given IV
Also known as: BCD-201, GME 751, GME751, Keytruda, Lambrolizumab, MK 3475, MK-3475, MK3475, Pembrolizumab Biosimilar BCD-201, Pembrolizumab Biosimilar GME751, Pembrolizumab Biosimilar QL2107, Pembrolizumab Biosimilar RPH-075, Pembrolizumab Biosimilar SB27, QL2107, RPH 075, RPH-075, RPH075, SB 27, SB-27, SB27, SCH 900475, SCH-900475, SCH900475
Correlative studies
Ancillary studies
Also known as: Quality of Life Assessment
Ancillary studies
Overall survival
The stratified proportional hazards model will be the primary analysis. The hazard ratio and its 95% confidence interval from the stratified Cox model with a single treatment covariate will be reported. The unstratified hazard ratio will also be presented.
Time frame: From randomization to the date of death from any cause, assessed up to 5 years
Disease-free survival
The stratified proportional hazards model will be the primary analysis. The hazard ratio and its 95% confidence interval from the stratified Cox model with a single treatment covariate will be reported. The unstratified hazard ratio will also be presented.
Time frame: From randomization to the first metastatic recurrence (presence of any recurrent disease), or death, whichever occurs first, assessed up to 5 years
Overall survival in PD-L1 positive and negative patients
The stratified proportional hazards model will be the primary analysis. The hazard ratio and its 95% confidence interval from the stratified Cox model with a single treatment covariate will be reported. The unstratified hazard ratio will also be presented.
Time frame: From randomization to the date of death from any cause, assessed up to 5 years
Disease-free survival in PD-L1 positive and negative patients
The stratified proportional hazards model will be the primary analysis. The hazard ratio and its 95% confidence interval from the stratified Cox model with a single treatment covariate will be reported. The unstratified hazard ratio will also be presented.
Time frame: From randomization to the first metastatic recurrence (presence of any recurrent disease), or death, whichever occurs first, assessed up to 5 years
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National Cancer Institute (NCI)