Unpacking NMIBC insights from ESMO 2025
Episode 10. Paolo Gontero and Ashish Kamat review the latest NMIBC insights from ESMO 2025, addressing the topic of global Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) therapy shortages and the real-world impact on patient care. Their discussion unpacks the POTOMAC trial’s nuanced findings and the evolving role of combination treatments. Gontero shares his perspective on patient selection and the importance of balancing efficacy with toxicity: “We have to be very, very careful the way we interpret systemic side effects of treatment in a population of patients with NMIBC.” The episode also considers how AI-driven pathology could reshape risk stratification and examines the promise and pitfalls of HER2-targeted therapies in high-risk, BCG-resistant disease. View transcript.
Chapters
00:45 Challenges in BCG therapy delivery
04:55 POTOMAC trial: Key clinical insights
10:15 BCG alone vs combination therapy
12:31 The future of AI in NMIBC
16:29 HER2-targeted therapy in NMIBC
Meet the guest speaker
Paolo Gontero, MD
Paolo Gontero is Full Professor of Urology at the University of Torino School of Medicine and Chairman of the Division of Urology at San Giovanni Battista (Molinette) Hospital in Turin, Italy. He is a surgical uro-oncologist devoted to robotic and laparoscopic surgery for prostate, kidney, and bladder cancer, with a special interest in single port robotic techniques. Gontero is involved in international trials and working groups on the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for prostate and bladder cancer. He also chairs the European Association of Urology guidelines for NMIBC and is a member of the Journal of Urology editorial board.
Disclosures: Sponsored lectures for Ferring, Ipsen, Medac, Photocure, and Recordati. Participated in sponsored studies for Cathalym and Janssen. Received departmental research grants from AB Medica, Astellas, Ferring, Intuitive, and Ipsen. Consultant roles for AstraZeneca, Ferring, Medac, Merck, MSD, Pfizer, and Photocure.
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