Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder: Urgent Call for New Therapies

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the urinary bladder is the most common non-urothelial variant histology. Currently, upfront radical cystectomy is the gold standard for non-metastatic SCC of the bladder. However, several studies have shown that SCC of the bladder is associated with higher aggressiveness and worse survival outcomes, such as progression-free and cancer-specific survival, relative to the urothelial histological subtype. Moreover, metastatic SCC seems to poorly respond to systemic treatments and/or radiotherapy.

Summary: This review summarizes the current knowledge and medical evidence regarding local and systematic treatment of mSCC of the bladder, including a case series of four initially locally advanced and later metastatic SCC patients of our tertiary care hospital.

Key messages: Despite being the second most common variant histology of bladder cancer, current therapies for SCC do not provide satisfactory therapeutic responses.