Robert R. Dreicer, MD, MS, MACP, FASCO

Robert Dreicer, MD, MS, MACP, FASCO, Associate Director for Clinical Research and the Deputy Director of the University of Virginia Cancer Center, discusses phase 3 study evidence in support of cisplatin-based chemo which he argues is a secure alternative to immune-checkpoint inhibition, a more experimental treatment. He begins by paralleling support of immune-checkpoint inhibition to other oncological examples of physician claims of “I already know the answer.” Dr. Dreicer reflects on the 90s, specifically on the recommendation of high dose chemo for advanced breast cancer prior to the completion of studies. Once the studies were completed it became clear that high dose chemo did not demonstrate an improvement in treatment and may in fact have proved itself mostly harmful. He continues by reviewing a randomized trial comparing long-term survival results of patients treated with gemcitabine plus cisplatin against methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin in patients with bladder cancer. The trial found that cisplatin-based chemo had a 15.3% response rate. Dr. Dreicer overviews a phase 3 trial which found that cisplatin-based therapy reduced risk of death by 16%, corresponding to an increase in 10-year survival from 30% to 36%. He concludes with an argument for cisplatin-based treatment due to the availability of higher-quality evidence for its use than immune-checkpoint inhibition.