ESMO 2025: Nivolumab Adjuvant Therapy for High-Risk Urothelial Carcinoma – 5-Year Results
Adjuvant Nivolumab Shows 5-Year Efficacy in High-Risk Muscle-Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma
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Published October 17,2025,by UroToday
Data presented at teh European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2025 demonstrate the continued benefit of adjuvant nivolumab versus placebo for patients with high-risk muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma (MIUC).
CheckMate 274: Long-Term Results
The CheckMate 274 trial evaluated the efficacy of adjuvant nivolumab (a PD-1 inhibitor) compared to placebo following radical cystectomy in patients with high-risk MIUC. The 5-year follow-up results,as reported at ESMO 2025, show a statistically notable and clinically meaningful advancement in disease-free survival (DFS) with nivolumab.
Key Findings
- 5-Year DFS: Nivolumab demonstrated a 5-year DFS rate of [Specific data point to be added when available from the source].
- ctDNA Analysis: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis revealed that patients who remained ctDNA-negative at 6 months had substantially longer DFS.
- Overall Survival: While not yet mature, trends suggest a potential overall survival benefit with nivolumab.
Clinical Implications
These long-term results from CheckMate 274 reinforce the role of adjuvant nivolumab as a standard of care for patients with high-risk MIUC following radical cystectomy. The ctDNA findings suggest a potential biomarker to identify patients most likely to benefit from adjuvant therapy.