title: Pemetrexed in treating patients with metastatic bladder cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This pooled analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed based chemotherapy in treating patients with metastatic bladder cancer as salvage chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed based regimens on response and safety for patients with bladder cancer were identified by using a predefined search strategy. Pooled response rate (RR) of treatment were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In pemetrexed based regimens, 3 clinical studies which including 105 patients with advanced transitional cell cancer of the urothelium were considered eligible for inclusion. Pooled analysis suggested that, in all patients, pooled RR was 26.7% (28/105) for pemetrexed based regimens. Major adverse effects were neutropenia, anorexia, fatigue, and anemia in pemetrexed based treatment. Two treatment related deaths occurred with pemetrexed based treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pooled analysis suggests that pemetrexed based regimens are associated with mild activity and good tolerability in treating patients with metastatic bladder cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China E-mail : chunzhisheng077@sina.com.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jian-Zhang
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wan-Hai
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D000068437:Pemetrexed / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000068437:Pemetrexed