New treatment promises cure for bladder cancer

The authority explained in a statement, Saturday, that the new drug is called “Balversa”, and it treats bladder cancer that spreads as a result of genetic mutations caused by chemotherapy for cancer.

The researchers explained that bladder cancers are linked to genetic mutations in the patient's bladder or in the entire urethra, and these mutations appear in one patient out of every 5 patients with bladder cancer.

The authority approved the new drug after a clinical trial that included 87 patients with advanced bladder cancer, with genetic mutations.

The rate of complete response to the new drug was about 32%, while 30% of patients achieved a partial response to the drug, and the response to treatment lasted for an average of 5 and a half months.

A number of patients responded to the new treatment, although they did not respond in the past to treatment with pembrolizumab, which is the standard treatment currently used for patients with advanced bladder cancer.

Regarding the most common side effects of the treatment, the authority indicated that they were mouth ulcers, feeling tired, change in kidney function, diarrhea, dry mouth, change in liver function, decreased appetite, dry eyes and hair loss.

Bladder cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, with approximately 76 new cases of bladder cancer diagnosed annually, in the US speaking states alone.

The disease develops in men about 3 to 4 times more than in women, and bladder cancer often occurs in the elderly, and the most prominent signs include blood in the urine, pain when urinating, and pelvic pain.