Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41557140›Full record

ArticleOncology and therapy2026

Characteristics, Treatment Patterns, and Outcomes of Patients with Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Undergoing Radical Cystectomy: A Retrospective Analysis of Health Insurance Claims Data in Germany.

Jennifer Stuart, Evi Zhuleku, Antje Mevius, Patrick Squires, Chethan Ramamurthy, Barthold Deiters, Mehmet Burcu

Abstract read
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Article in Oncology and therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Jennifer Stuart *Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.
Evi Zhuleku *Cytel Inc., Berlin, Germany.
Antje MeviusInstitut für Pharmakoökonomie und Arzneimittellogistik E.V., Wismar, Germany.
Patrick SquiresMerck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.
Chethan RamamurthyMerck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.
Barthold DeitersGWQ ServicePlus AG, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Mehmet BurcuMerck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. mehmet.burcu@merck.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4572-0987

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMuscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is an aggressive form of bladder cancer characterized by high rates of metastasis and recurrence. Given recent advances in the treatment landscape, real-world evidence on current treatment patterns and outcomes remains limited, particularly outside of the USA. This study aimed to describe characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of patients with MIBC undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) in a contemporary real-world setting in Germany.

methodsAdult patients with bladder cancer (BC) who underwent RC between October 2021 and June 2023 were identified from two German claims databases (AOK PLUS, GWQ). Patients with partial cystectomy, secondary malignant neoplasms, immunotherapies for metastatic disease prior to RC, radiotherapy, or in situ disease ≤ 6 months pre-RC were excluded. Patient characteristics and treatment patterns (neoadjuvant [NAT, ≤ 6 months pre-RC] and adjuvant periods [AT, ≤ 6 months post-RC]) were investigated in a descriptive analysis. Time to recurrence (from RC until end of follow-up [study period end: Dec 31, 2023]) was assessed as an exploratory outcome.

resultsThe study sample included 319 patients from AOK PLUS (n = 243 male patients, n = 76 female patients; mean age 71.4 ± 9.7 years) and 273 patients from GWQ (n = 227 male patients, n = 46 female patients; mean age 68.6 ± 10.1 years). Surgery without NAT/AT was the most common treatment (75.9% AOK, 74.0% GWQ). NAT and AT therapy utilization was low (NAT: 12.5% AOK, 17.2% GWQ; AT: 12.5% AOK, 12.1% GWQ; NAT and AT: 0.9% AOK, 3.3% GWQ). The most common adjuvant therapies received were chemotherapy (8.5% AOK, 7.0% GWQ) followed by immunotherapy/nivolumab (3.8% AOK, 4.8% GWQ), while < 2.5% received radiotherapy. The 12- and 24-month recurrence-free survival rates were 76.5% and 67.2% (AOK) and 73.7% and 69.6% (GWQ), respectively.

conclusionThe most prevalent treatment approach for MIBC was RC alone (in the absence of NAT or AT). The uptake of new therapeutic options, such as adjuvant nivolumab, in the real world was low, highlighting underutilization of available therapies.

Indexed as

Adjuvant therapyAdministrative claims dataMuscle-invasive bladder cancerNeoadjuvant therapyRadical cystectomyTreatment patterns

Identifiers

PMID41557140
PMCPMC12992716

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