Real-World Safety and Early Effectiveness of First-Line Enfortumab Vedotin Plus Pembrolizumab with Routine Dexamethasone Premedication in Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma

<b>Background</b>: Enfortumab vedotin plus pembrolizumab (EVP) has become a first-line standard for metastatic or unresectable urothelial carcinoma. However, EVP is associated with distinct toxicities, particularly cutaneous adverse events, and prophylactic systemic corticosteroids were not permitted in pivotal trials. Therefore, the safety and early effectiveness of EVP with routine dexamethasone premedication in real-world practice remain unclear. <b>Methods</b>: This multicenter retrospective study included consecutive patients with metastatic or unresectable urothelial carcinoma who received first-line EVP at five institutions in Japan between September 2024 and September 2025. All patients received routine intravenous dexamethasone premedication before enfortumab vedotin administration. Safety and early clinical outcomes were evaluated, with exploratory subgroup analyses according to clinical trial eligibility and EVITA criteria. <b>Results</b>: Seventy-seven patients were included, with a median age of 75 years, and more than half would have been ineligible for pivotal clinical trials. Cutaneous toxicity was the most frequent adverse event (52.0%), whereas grade ≥3 skin reactions were uncommon (3.9%). With a median follow-up of 6.7 months, the objective response rate was 73.0%. The 6-month progression-free survival and overall survival rates were 73.9% and 78.7%, respectively. Early progression-free survival was generally maintained across subgroups stratified by clinical trial eligibility and EVITA category, with no evidence of excess early progression. <b>Conclusions</b>: In this real-world multicenter cohort, first-line EVP with routine dexamethasone premedication was feasible, with manageable toxicity and encouraging early clinical activity, including in patients with comorbidities commonly encountered in routine clinical practice. Longer follow-up and prospective comparative studies are warranted to clarify long-term outcomes and the impact of dexamethasone on efficacy and toxicity.

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Journal
Cancers
Published
2026-02-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18050739
Primary Topic
Bladder and Urothelial Cancer Treatments
Type
article
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article

Real-World Safety and Early Effectiveness of First-Line Enfortumab Vedotin Plus Pembrolizumab with Routine Dexamethasone Premedication in Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma

Hideto Ueki, Naoto Wakita, Taisuke Tobe, Yoji Hyodo et al.
Cancers
Bladder and Urothelial Cancer Treatments
article

Real-World Safety and Early Effectiveness of First-Line Enfortumab Vedotin Plus Pembrolizumab with Routine Dexamethasone Premedication in Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma

Hideto Ueki, Naoto Wakita, Taisuke Tobe, Yoji Hyodo, Akihisa Yao, Jun Teishima, Kotaro Suzuki, Yasuyoshi Okamura, Takuto Hara, Yukari Bando, Koji Chiba, Hideaki Miyake, Tomoaki Terakawa
article en

Abstract

<b>Background</b>: Enfortumab vedotin plus pembrolizumab (EVP) has become a first-line standard for metastatic or unresectable urothelial carcinoma. However, EVP is associated with distinct toxicities, particularly cutaneous adverse events, and prophylactic systemic corticosteroids were not permitted in pivotal trials. Therefore, the safety and early effectiveness of EVP with routine dexamethasone premedication in real-world practice remain unclear. <b>Methods</b>: This multicenter retrospective study included consecutive patients with metastatic or unresectable urothelial carcinoma who received first-line EVP at five institutions in Japan between September 2024 and September 2025. All patients received routine intravenous dexamethasone premedication before enfortumab vedotin administration. Safety and early clinical outcomes were evaluated, with exploratory subgroup analyses according to clinical trial eligibility and EVITA criteria. <b>Results</b>: Seventy-seven patients were included, with a median age of 75 years, and more than half would have been ineligible for pivotal clinical trials. Cutaneous toxicity was the most frequent adverse event (52.0%), whereas grade ≥3 skin reactions were uncommon (3.9%). With a median follow-up of 6.7 months, the objective response rate was 73.0%. The 6-month progression-free survival and overall survival rates were 73.9% and 78.7%, respectively. Early progression-free survival was generally maintained across subgroups stratified by clinical trial eligibility and EVITA category, with no evidence of excess early progression. <b>Conclusions</b>: In this real-world multicenter cohort, first-line EVP with routine dexamethasone premedication was feasible, with manageable toxicity and encouraging early clinical activity, including in patients with comorbidities commonly encountered in routine clinical practice. Longer follow-up and prospective comparative studies are warranted to clarify long-term outcomes and the impact of dexamethasone on efficacy and toxicity.

CancersVol. 18(5)
Kobe University (JP)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 43%
Bladder and Urothelial Cancer Treatments
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