Resumen
While immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors is a standard component of treatment for advanced bladder cancer, its potential in early-stage, non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is increasingly being evaluated. Traditionally, NMIBC is managed with Bacillus Calmette?Guérin (BCG), a therapy that activates the immune system. Given that PD-L1 protein expression is an important marker for predicting the response to immunotherapy in advanced stages, and has shown prognostic value, and considering that BCG therapy functions by stimulating the immune system, our aim is to investigate whether PD-L1 levels change over time or with BCG treatment in high-risk NMIBC patients, and the prognostic implications thereof. This research could offer new insights into biomarker expression in early-stage bladder cancer by evaluating its susceptibility to therapies. The capacity of BCG to influence PD-L1 expression might provide hints for a sequential application of therapies.