EORTC BRACE study reaches key milestones with first patient enrolment

The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) has reached an important milestone in the EORTC 2335-GUCG BRACE study with the enrolment of its first patient.

Led by study coordinators Vérane Achard and Piet Dirix, BRACE is a multicentre clinical study investigating the potential of radiotherapy as a bladder-preserving treatment option for patients with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ (CIS).

For patients with BCG-unresponsive disease, removal of the bladder remains the current standard treatment. While effective, radical cystectomy is a major surgical intervention that can have a substantial impact on quality of life. BRACE seeks to determine whether radiotherapy can offer a safe and effective alternative that preserves the bladder while maintaining disease control.

The study plans to enrol 50 patients and will evaluate outcomes including treatment response, safety, cancer control and quality of life. Participants will receive radiotherapy over four weeks and undergo regular standard of care assessments to determine treatment effectiveness.

The first patient was recruited at site 101 – Institut Jules Bordet, marking an important milestone for BRACE. This achievement reflects the collective efforts of investigators, clinical research teams, participating institutions and supporters committed to expanding treatment options for patients with high-risk bladder cancer.

As enrolment continues and, additional centres join the study, BRACE will generate important evidence on the role of radiotherapy in BCG-unresponsive NMIBC and contribute to the development of new bladder-preserving treatment strategies for patients facing limited therapeutic options.

Grateful to our funders Kom op tegen Kanker (KOTK) and Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research for making this research possible.