Open AccessAvelumab First-Line Maintenance Treatment in Advanced Bladder Cancer: Practical Implementation Steps for Infusion Nurses
Author(s) -
Laura S. Wood,
Dawn Conway,
Maria Lapuente,
George Salvador,
Sheila Fernandez Gomez,
Andrea Carroll Bullock,
Geeta Devgan,
Kathleen D Burns
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of infusion nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.35
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1539-0667
pISSN - 1533-1458
DOI - 10.1097/nan.0000000000000465
Subject(s) - avelumab , atezolizumab , medicine , pembrolizumab , nivolumab , oncology , metastatic urothelial carcinoma , maintenance therapy , cisplatin , bladder cancer , chemotherapy , intensive care medicine , cancer , immunotherapy , urothelial carcinoma
Immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as programmed cell death ligand 1 inhibitors pembrolizumab, nivolumab, atezolizumab, and avelumab, are used to treat patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC). Based on data from the phase 3 JAVELIN Bladder 100 trial, avelumab first-line (1L) maintenance is now considered the standard-of-care treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic UC who responded or experienced disease stabilization after 1L platinum-containing chemotherapy, and it is the only category 1 preferred checkpoint inhibitor maintenance option in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for patients with cisplatin-eligible and cisplatin-ineligible locally advanced or metastatic UC. This article reviews key considerations related to avelumab 1L maintenance therapy that infusion nurses should be familiar with, including dosing, administration, and immune-related adverse event recognition and management, to ensure safe and appropriate use of this important and impactful therapy.