UroStream

With the continuous emergence of novel therapies and landmark clinical evidence, the treatment landscape of urothelial carcinoma is undergoing profound transformation. Ahead of the 2026 Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) Guidelines Conference, Oncology Frontier – UroStream presents a special series of expert previews on major genitourinary oncology guidelines. In this issue, Professor Cuijian Zhang from Peking University First Hospital, Secretary of the CSCO Urothelial Carcinoma Expert Committee, discusses the evolution of the CSCO urothelial carcinoma guidelines, highlights potential updates in the upcoming edition, and shares insights into the clinical significance of emerging evidence and future directions in the field. His perspectives offer clinicians an early look at evolving treatment paradigms aimed at improving outcomes for Chinese patients.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the urinary system, among which approximately 75% are clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Loss of the VHL gene is the key molecular event driving this disease. VHL inactivation places tumor cells in a persistent state of “pseudohypoxia,” continuously activating HIF-2α-centered oncogenic transcriptional programs that promote angiogenesis, cell proliferation, and metabolic reprogramming.

The Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) Renal Cancer Guidelines have become one of the most influential and widely adopted clinical references in the field of kidney cancer in China. Built upon evidence-based medicine while remaining highly practical for everyday clinical use, the guidelines continue to evolve alongside rapid advances in renal cancer therapeutics.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the bladder is a rare but highly aggressive malignancy associated with poor clinical outcomes and limited responsiveness to conventional therapies. Recently, Professor Guoliang Yang’s team from Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, together with Professor Xianbin Su’s group from the Institute of Systems Biomedicine at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, published a landmark study in the Journal of Pathology titled “Cellular origins and etiological factors for squamous cell carcinoma and related cancer types of the bladder.”