The decision to test Enfortumab Vedotin/Pembrolizumab (EVP) in early-stage muscle-invasive bladder cancer was directly driven by its "flabbergasting" results in the metastatic setting. This highlights a strategy where overwhelming late-stage efficacy signals a therapy should be rapidly moved to earlier, curative-intent settings.
The trial's 57.1% pathologic complete response (pCR) rate is deceptively conservative. It categorized patients who responded well but declined surgery as non-responders, suggesting the treatment's true biological efficacy is even higher than the already impressive reported figure.
The KIDO 905 trial revealed high rates of adverse events even in the control arm receiving only surgery. This suggests the invasive procedure itself is a major source of patient harm, paving the way for future surgery-free regimens if systemic treatments like EVP prove sufficiently effective.