Perioperative Systemic Therapies in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer (GUARDIANS) (GUARDIANS)

October 1, 2026 updated by: Can Aydogdu, MD, LMU Klinikum

Perioperative GUARDIANS Project: Real-World Evaluation of Feasibility, Toxicity, and Oncologic Outcomes of Perioperative Systemic Therapies in Muscle-Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma

This is a multicenter, non-interventional, prospective and retrospective observational patient registry study of adults with muscle-invasive bladder cancer receiving perioperative systemic therapy as part of routine clinical care. The registry includes patients treated with perioperative systemic therapies such as Enfortumab Vedotin plus Pembrolizumab as well as cisplatin-based combinations including Gemcitabine/Cisplatin/Durvalumab and other standard perioperative treatment approaches in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting.

The study aims to evaluate real-world feasibility, treatment tolerability, pathologic response, and oncologic outcomes of perioperative systemic treatment strategies. Key outcomes include event-free survival (EFS), pathologic complete response (pCR), pathologic downstaging, disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), perioperative complications, and treatment-related adverse events. Patient-reported neurotoxicity symptoms will also be assessed using standardized neuropathy questionnaires.

All treatments, surgeries, and follow-up procedures are performed according to routine clinical practice. No study-specific interventions are assigned. Clinical data are collected pseudonymized through participating GUARDIANS centers using standardized electronic case report forms. Both prospective and retrospective data collection are included.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Other: Perioperative Systemic Therapy Registry

Detailed Description

The GUARDIANS perioperative registry is a multicenter observational study designed to collect real-world data on perioperative systemic therapies in patients with muscle-invasive or locally advanced urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

Perioperative systemic treatment strategies for muscle-invasive bladder cancer are rapidly evolving and include antibody-drug conjugate-based combinations such as Enfortumab Vedotin plus Pembrolizumab as well as cisplatin-based regimens including Gemcitabine/Cisplatin/Durvalumab and other standard neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment approaches. While these regimens are increasingly used in routine care, systematic real-world evidence regarding feasibility, dose intensity, perioperative safety, patient-reported neurotoxicity, pathologic response, and long-term oncologic outcomes remains limited.

This registry evaluates perioperative treatment strategies with particular focus on real-world implementation, treatment completion, and comparative outcomes across different systemic therapy approaches. Patients are followed longitudinally from baseline and diagnosis through neoadjuvant therapy, radical cystectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection, adjuvant therapy when applicable, and long-term follow-up.

The primary objective is evaluation of event-free survival (EFS) and treatment feasibility. Feasibility includes completion of intended radical cystectomy, delivery of planned neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment components, and reasons for treatment delay, modification, or discontinuation.

Secondary objectives include assessment of:

Pathologic complete response (pCR, ypT0N0) Pathologic downstaging Disease-free survival (DFS) Overall survival (OS) Local and distant recurrence patterns 90-day postoperative complications after radical cystectomy CTCAE version 5.0 treatment-related toxicities Patient-reported chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms Treatment exposure and dose intensity The study is non-interventional. All diagnostic and therapeutic decisions are made independently of study participation according to local standard of care. No additional mandatory visits, diagnostic procedures, or therapeutic interventions are required.

Data are collected pseudonymized using REDCap across participating GUARDIANS centers. Prospective collection includes patient-reported outcome measures for neurotoxicity, while retrospective collection allows inclusion of previously treated patients according to ethics approval and local regulations. The registry supports evaluation of real-world outcomes across multiple perioperative treatment strategies and provides comparative evidence for routine clinical practice.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

500

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Germany
- - Munich, Germany, 81377
    - Recruiting
    - Department of Urology, LMU University Hospital Munich
    - Contact:
      
      Can Aydogdu, MD
      
      Phone Number: +49 89 4400 0
      
      Email: can.aydogdu@med.uni-muenchen.de

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adult patients with muscle-invasive or locally advanced urothelial carcinoma of the bladder receiving perioperative systemic therapy in routine clinical practice. Patients are treated in the neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant setting with curative intent and undergo or are planned for radical cystectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection. Treatment approaches include Enfortumab Vedotin plus Pembrolizumab, Gemcitabine/Cisplatin/Durvalumab, cisplatin-based chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and other standard perioperative systemic therapies. Both prospective and retrospective patients from participating GUARDIANS centers are included.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Age ≥18 years
Histologically confirmed muscle-invasive or locally advanced urothelial carcinoma of the bladder
Planned, ongoing, or completed perioperative systemic therapy, including but not limited to Enfortumab Vedotin plus Pembrolizumab, Gemcitabine/Cisplatin/Durvalumab, cisplatin-based chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or other standard perioperative treatment approaches
Radical cystectomy planned or performed as part of curative-intent treatment strategy
Written informed consent for prospective data collection, where required
Sufficient clinical documentation available for retrospective inclusion, including at least one follow-up assessment

Exclusion Criteria:

Missing informed consent where prospectively required
Insufficient documentation of key baseline data or treatment exposure
No perioperative systemic therapy or inability to assign patient to a study cohort
Follow-up data unavailable or inconsistent documentation preventing endpoint assessment

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Observational Models: COHORT
Time Perspectives: PROSPECTIVE

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Event Free Survival (EFS) Time Frame: From treatment initiation up to 36 months	From treatment initiation up to 36 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pathologic Complete Response (pCR) Time Frame: At radical cystectomy		At radical cystectomy
Pathologic Downstaging Time Frame: At radical cystectomy	Defined as less than ypT2N0 in the cystectomy specimen, including pT0, pTis, pTa, and pT1.	At radical cystectomy
Disease-Free Survival (DFS) Time Frame: Up to 36 months after surgery	Time from curative surgery until recurrence or death.	Up to 36 months after surgery
Overall Survival (OS) Time Frame: Up to 60 months	Time from treatment initiation until death from any cause.	Up to 60 months
Change Over Time in Patient-Reported Peripheral Neuropathy Assessed by the EORTC QLQ-CIPN20 Time Frame: Baseline; within 14 days before radical cystectomy; start of adjuvant therapy ±14 days; weeks 12, 21, and 30 of adjuvant therapy ±14 days; and end of treatment ±14 days	Patient-reported peripheral neuropathy symptoms will be assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy 20 (EORTC QLQ-CIPN20). The questionnaire assesses sensory, motor, and autonomic symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. Subscale scores are calculated according to the EORTC scoring procedure and linearly transformed to a scale ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate greater peripheral neuropathy symptom burden and therefore a worse outcome. Changes from baseline will be assessed longitudinally during perioperative treatment through end of treatment.	Baseline; within 14 days before radical cystectomy; start of adjuvant therapy ±14 days; weeks 12, 21, and 30 of adjuvant therapy ±14 days; and end of treatment ±14 days
Treatment-Related Adverse Events Time Frame: From first administration of neoadjuvant therapy through the end-of-treatment visit, up to approximately 12 months	Occurrence, type, severity, attribution, management, and outcome of treatment-related adverse events associated with perioperative enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab. Adverse event severity will be graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE), version 5.0.	From first administration of neoadjuvant therapy through the end-of-treatment visit, up to approximately 12 months
90-Day Postoperative Complications Time Frame: Up to 90 days after radical cystectomy	Occurrence and severity of postoperative complications within 90 days after radical cystectomy, graded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification.	Up to 90 days after radical cystectomy
90-Day Perioperative Mortality Time Frame: Up to 90 days after radical cystectomy	All-cause mortality occurring within 90 days after radical cystectomy following perioperative systemic therapy. This includes deaths related to surgical complications, treatment-related toxicity, or other causes during the perioperative period.	Up to 90 days after radical cystectomy

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

LMU Klinikum

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

May 17, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

May 31, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 17, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 1, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

October 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)