A multi-institutional clinical study facilitated by the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium is aimed at evaluating a combination of radiation and immunotherapy for treating advanced bladder cancer. 

Hamid Emamekhoo, MD, assistant professor (CHS), Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care, explained why the consortium aids recruitment. 

Only a subset of patients fall into the category for the study, which is for bladder cancer patients ineligible for or unwilling to undergo chemotherapy or surgical treatment. 

"Although [the population] is small, we don’t want to ignore that group of patients, or not pay enough attention to that group, so we are working to have a better option for any patient with bladder cancer," he said. 

Dr. Emamekhoo is teaming up with University of Iowa assistant professor Yousef Zakharia, MD. 

Resources:

• "Big Ten schools team up to fight bladder cancer," The Daily Iowan, September 30, 2018