The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program has played a key role in developing new and improved cancer therapies. However, the program is falling short of its potential, and the IOM recommends changes that aim to transform the Cooperative Group Program into a dynamic system that efficiently responds to emerging scientific knowledge; involves broad cooperation of stakeholders; and leverages evolving technologies to provide high-quality, practice-changing research.

This book provides a systematic review of the management and treatment of this disease. The concise and highly structured chapters feature essential background knowledge and commentary on recent advances within each step of a range of patient pathways. Management of Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer provides a framework for patients’ care based on the research, as well as practically and clinically oriented guidelines. This book is relevant to trainees and practicing urologists and oncologists, in addition to medical professionals involved in the treatment of bladder cancer.

The study of genitourinary tumors is an area of recent rapid growth both in the understanding of disease processes and in the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. During rapid growth phases within any field, it is desirable to reflect on the current 'state of the art'. It is difficult even for experts in reputed areas of advancement to distinguish true advances from false leads, but it is far more difficult yet for those whose expertise lies in other areas to evaluate important advances. Thus, an objective assessment of evolving areas of investigation in the form of a comprehensive review is of considerable value. we have attempted to provide the reader with an over In this volume, view of some of the current areas of investigation in urologic oncology by experts in each area. There often is a tendency for invited papers in books of this nature to lack important critical peer review and therefore, suffer from a lack of objectivity. We have attempted to diminish this problem by the selection of two experts to discuss each subject. We believe that this format has improved the overall quality of the book for two reasons: 1) the know ledge of each contributor that his or her work would be reviewed by a peer 2) the fact that contributions by encourages more rigorous scholarship, and two experts, including the individual insights of each, provides a better per spective for the reader.