[Role of gemcitabine/cisplatin in the treatment of advanced and metastatic bladder cancer].

M-VAC combination chemotherapy was considered as the "gold standard" of the treatment of advanced and metastatic bladder cancers. Arrival of gemcitabine or taxanes in the 90s attracted attention since their efficacy was combined with low toxicity profiles. Gemcitabine/cisplatin combination became the most frequently studied treatment modality in the past 3 years. Multicentric, multinational randomized phase-III study indicated that in bladder cancer the gemcitabine/cisplatin combination is equal to M-VAC while in the case of the former the risk to benefit ratio is lower. Accordingly, gemcitabine/cisplatin combination is a safer treatment option in advanced and metastatic bladder cancer and is a real alternative to M-VAC. In the case of patients where cisplatin cannot be administered due to poor renal function, the new drugs with better toxicity profiles provide further treatment options.