Posts by Mourabit Halima

In 2025, China’s renal cell carcinoma (RCC) field achieved significant progress in both clinical management and translational research. Surgical innovation—particularly robotic-assisted inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor thrombus resection—has improved the feasibility and safety of complex procedures. In advanced disease, novel immunotherapy–targeted therapy combinations demonstrated promising efficacy in clear cell RCC and fumarate hydratase–deficient RCC (FH-dRCC). Meanwhile, artificial intelligence (AI)-based imaging models, metabolite-driven liquid biopsy biomarkers, multi-omics molecular subtyping, and intratumoral microbiome studies are advancing precision diagnosis, prognostic stratification, and therapeutic optimization.

The 2026 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO GU) has once again opened as one of the most authoritative and influential global meetings in genitourinary oncology. As always, it sets the direction for advances in urothelial carcinoma, prostate cancer, and renal cell carcinoma. This year, precision-targeted therapy in urothelial carcinoma stands firmly at the center of attention.

At the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, Dr. Toni K. Choueiri from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School presented the primary results of the LITESPARK-022 study (NCT05239728). As the largest randomized, double-blind, Phase 3 trial to date in the adjuvant immunotherapy setting, LITESPARK-022 evaluated the efficacy of pembrolizumab plus belzutifan versus pembrolizumab monotherapy for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) at increased risk of recurrence post-nephrectomy.

At a recent international medical congress, Dr. Steffen Rausch from the University Hospital Tübingen presented the latest analysis of pathological outcomes and disease-free survival (DFS) from the KEYNOTE-905 study. This randomized, open-label Phase III trial evaluates the efficacy and safety of perioperative enfortumab vedotin (EV) combined with pembrolizumab in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are ineligible for cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

At a recent international academic symposium, Dr. Sophie Merrick from the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit at University College London (UCL) reported the Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) data from the RAMPART trial. The study aimed to evaluate the dynamic impact of adjuvant durvalumab plus tremelimumab versus active monitoring on the quality of life (QoL) of patients with resected renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

For patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have progressed after anti-PD-(L)1 therapy, a consensus standard of care is currently lacking. Belzutifan, a first-in-class HIF-2α inhibitor, combined with the VEGFR-TKI lenvatinib, has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy. At a recent academic conference, Professor Robert J. Motzer from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) presented the latest results from the randomized, open-label, Phase 3 LITESPARK-011 study.

At the recent genitourinary oncology symposium, Dr. Pooja Ghatalia from Fox Chase Cancer Center presented the primary clinical outcomes of the RETAIN 2 trial. She also provided an integrated analysis of the RETAIN 1 and RETAIN 2 trials, focusing on the role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in guiding response-adapted bladder preservation for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

At the recent ASCO Annual Meeting, Professor Michiel S. van der Heijden from the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) presented the latest biomarker analysis from the Phase III NIAGARA trial. The study investigated the dynamics of urinary tumor DNA (utDNA) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) receiving perioperative durvalumab in combination with chemotherapy, evaluating their utility in predicting pathological complete response (pCR) and event-free survival (EFS).

During a recent clinical oncology symposium, Professor Matthew D. Galsky from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai presented the primary results of the Phase 3 KEYNOTE-B15 study (also known as EV-304). This trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of perioperative enfortumab vedotin (EV) in combination with pembrolizumab for patients with cisplatin-eligible muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

At a recent major international oncology conference, Dr. Matthew D. Galsky from Mount Sinai presented updated data from a Phase 1 clinical trial (Late-Breaking Abstract, LBA639) and associated biomarker analysis of FX-909, a first-in-class peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) inhibitor, in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC). The study data were simultaneously published in the top-tier journal Nature Medicine.