Opdivo adjuvant for the treatment of bladder cancer Health ConditionsHealth ConditionsAlzheimer's & DementiaAnxietyArthritisAsthma & AllergiesBreast CancerCancerCardiovascular HealthCOVID-19Dermatology & SkincareDiabetesEnvironment & SustainabilityExercise & FitnessEye HealthHeadache & MigraineHealth EquityHIV & AIDSHuman BiologyInflammatory Bowel DiseaseLeukemiaLGBTQIA+Men's HealthMental HealthMultiple Sclerosis (MS)NutritionParkinson's DiseasePsoriasisSexual HealthWomen's HealthDiscoverNewsLatest NewsOriginal SeriesMedical MythsHonest NutritionThrough My EyesNew Normal HealthPodcastsHow to understand chronic painWhat is behind vaccine hesitancy?The amazing story of hepatitis C, from discovery to cureNew directions in dementia researchCan psychedelics rewire a depressed, anxious brain?Why climate change matters for human healthToolsGeneral HealthDrugs A-ZHealth HubsHealth ToolsBMI Calculators and ChartsBlood Pressure Chart: Ranges and GuideBreast Cancer: Self-Examination GuideSleep CalculatorHealth ProductsAffordable Therapy OptionsBlood Pressure MonitorsDiabetic SuppliesFitness TrackersHome GymsGreen Cleaning ProductsHow to Shop for CBDQuizzesRA Myths vs FactsType 2 Diabetes: Managing Blood SugarAnkylosing Spondylitis Pain: Fact or FictionConnectAbout Medical News TodayWho We AreOur Editorial ProcessContent IntegrityConscious LanguageNewslettersSign UpFollow UsMedical News TodayHealth ConditionsDiscoverToolsConnectSubscribe Can Opdivo adjuvant treat bladder cancer Medically reviewed by Alan Carter, Pharm.D. — By Mary West on September 12, 2022Doctors may recommend nivolumab (Opdivo) adjuvant for some people with bladder cancer. This includes those with a high risk of recurrence following bladder surgery and people who have received platinum chemotherapy but require further treatment. Opdivo is an immunotherapy medication that helps boost a person’s immune system to treat cancer. Some research suggests that it may extend a person’s life by 9 months. Due to Opdivo’s action, side effects are frequently autoimmune, where the body attacks its own cells. Some side effects are manageable, while others are life threatening. The drug may also be called nivolumab. Keep reading to learn more about Opdivo adjuvant for bladder cancer, including how it works, its side effects, and its effectiveness. What is Opdivo adjuvant therapy Share on PinterestJohn Moore/Getty ImagesAdjuvant therapy for cancer is an additional treatment a person receives following primary treatment to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. Doctors use Opdivo adjuvant therapy for urothelial carcinoma, the most common type of bladder cancer. This cancer affects the urothelial cells, which line the inside of the bladder and other parts of the urinary tract. Additionally, Opdivo is a treatment for other types of cancer either alone or in combination with other therapies. Such cancers include:classic Hodgkin lymphomacolorectal canceresophageal cancerstomach cancermelanomarenal cell cancer, a type of kidney cancersquamous cell cancer of the neck and headmalignant pleural mesotheliomanon-small cell lung cancer The drug comes in a liquid form, and healthcare professionals typically administer it as an intravenous (IV) infusion, which takes approximately 30 minutes. For bladder cancer, people can expect Opdivo every 2 or 4 weeks. Learn more about Opdivo here. Overview of bladder cancer In bladder cancer, malignant cells form in bladder tissues. Signs and symptoms include:blood in the urinepain during urinationfrequent urination Standard treatments for bladder cancer may involve:surgery to remove the tumorchemotherapy to kill fast-growing cancer cellsradiation therapytargeted therapy — medications that target proteins that determine how cancer cells growimmunotherapy, or biological therapy — the use of substances in either the body or a laboratory makes that improve someone’s natural defense against a condition A person’s outlook depends on an array of factors, such as the:stage of cancertype of bladder cancersize and number of tumors Learn more about bladder cancer. How Opdivo works for bladder cancer Opdivo is an immunotherapy drug that falls in a class called PD-1 inhibitors. PD-1 is a protein on the surface of T cells that helps keep the immune system in check. PD-L1 is another protein that some types of cancer cells have. When PD-1 binds to PD-L1, it prevents T cells from killing cancer cells in the body. This allows the cancer to keep growing. Inhibitors, such as Opdivo, stop PD-1 and PD-L1 from binding together, which permits the body’s T cells to kill cancer cells. When might doctors recommend this therapy Doctors might recommend Opdivo adjuvant therapy for people who:have undergone surgery for bladder cancerhave a high risk of cancer recurrencehad previously received platinum chemotherapy to treat the cancer, but it was ineffective What does research show about this therapy for bladder cancer Radical surgery is the standard treatment for bladder cancer that has spread to the underlying bladder muscle. However, a 2021 clinical trial notes the cancer recurs in more than 50% of people. Researchers in the trial evaluated the value of the Opdivo drug on 709 people who had undergone surgery for bladder cancer. It compared the effects of the medication on approximately half of the participants and the effects of a placebo on the remaining half. The analysis indicated that disease-free survival was significantly longer in individuals who took Opdivo. The median survival time — where a person was free of cancer recurrence outside the urinary tract — was 22.9 months with Opdivo. This compares with 13.7 months for those taking a placebo. Success rates The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based its approval of Opdivo on a clinical trial involving 270 participants with advanced or metastatic bladder cancer that had not responded well to platinum-based chemotherapy. Metastasis denotes cancer that has spread to another part of the body from the original tumor. Of all the participants, researchers measured the drug’s activity in 265 people. A partial response denotes a decrease in the tumor size, and a complete response denotes the disappearance of the tumor. Results showed that: the tumor shrank measurably in 52 participantsamong the 52 participants, 46 had a partial response, and 6 had a complete response3 people died following treatment Risks Some side effects are temporary and manageable, while others can be life threatening. The side effects people experience are frequently due to an autoimmune response, which can affect any organ system in the body. Most commonly, these can include:itchy rashdiarrheacolitis, swelling of the large intestine Opdivo may also affect glandular function and induce conditions that require a person to take hormones permanently. These are less common and may include:Diabetes: The inability to produce or respond normally to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar.Hypothyroidism: The production of low amounts of thyroid hormonesAdrenal insufficiency: The production of low amounts of certain hormones from the adrenal glands, such as the stress hormone cortisol.Hypopituitarism: The production of low amounts of one or more pituitary gland hormones. Other less common or rare side effects include inflammation that affects the:lung tissue — a condition called pneumonitisheart muscle — a condition called myocarditislivereyes Summary Opdivo adjuvant for bladder cancer is an additional therapy that doctors sometimes recommend after primary treatment, such as surgery or chemotherapy. The medication boosts the ability of a person’s own immune system to control cancer. Evidence suggests that it may extend the life of a person with the most common type of bladder cancer by 9 months. The most common side effects are an itchy rash, diarrhea, and colitis, but it can also cause serious and life threatening side effects. Last medically reviewed on September 12, 2022Public HealthCancer / OncologyClinical Trials / Drug TrialsMedically reviewed by Alan Carter, Pharm.D. — By Mary West on September 12, 2022 Latest newsWhat sets 'SuperAgers' apart? Their unusually large neuronsOmega-3 may provide a brain boost for people in midlifeSeasonal affective disorder (SAD): How to beat it this fall and winterCDC: Monkeypox in the US 'unlikely to be eliminated in the near future'Why are more women prone to Alzheimer's? New clues arise Related CoverageWhat to know about bladder polypsMedically reviewed by Elaine K. Luo, M.D. Bladder polyps occur when abnormal cells grow in the bladder. 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