Treatment patterns in patients with locally advanced and metastatic bladder cancer in Denmark 2015-2023 – an updated analysis

chemotherapy.Chemotherapy was classified into platinumbased (cisplatin or carboplatin-based) and other.IO was classified by type into pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, nivolumab, and avelumab.We defined avelumab as maintenance treatment if started within 12 weeks after the last dose of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy.We followed patients from the date of pathology-confirmed La/mUBC (index date) until death or last recorded follow-up (June 30, 2024).We computed the number of patients who received systemic anti-cancer therapy, the number of patients who received first-, second-, and third-line therapy, and specific treatment types.We constructed a Sankey plot to visualise treatment patterns in patients diagnosed in 2021-2023.All statistical analyses were conducted using the SAS statistical software package, v. 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC).This study was reported to the Danish Data Protection Agency through registration at Aarhus University (record number 2016-051-000001-718). ResultsWe identified 1,930 patients registered in the DPR and DNPR with La/mUBC and no previous cancer in the period 2015-2023.Of these, 324 (17%) had de novo La/mUBC while 1,606 had progressed to La/mUBC.Of the 1,930 patients, 71% were men, and the median age was 73 years.At study inclusion, 11% had a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 8% had a previous myocardial infarction, and 10% had diabetes.