UroStream

Due to factors such as early screening, drug accessibility, and genetic differences, prostate cancer characteristics in China differ from those in Western countries. In recent years, with China's aging population, the incidence and mortality of prostate cancer have risen significantly, increasing the disease burden. At the recent CSCO Annual Meeting, Urology Frontier invited Dr. Yao Zhu from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center to share insights on the characteristics of prostate cancer in China, the latest research progress at Fudan, and the value of clinical research by physicians.

The 31st Urology Academic Conference, organized by the Chinese Medical Association and the Chinese Urological Association (CUA), was held from September 19 to 22, 2024, at the National Convention Center in Tianjin. This event brought together leading urology experts from China and abroad to discuss the latest advances in clinical research and surgical treatment. After the conference, Urology Frontier invited Dr. Jian Huang, Chair of the CUA and Director of Urology at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, to share insights on the meeting's focus areas, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in bladder cancer, and the research directions of his team.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in men, with endocrine therapy being a standard treatment approach. However, it often comes with some side effects. Recently, the 31st Annual Urology Conference, hosted by the Chinese Medical Association and the Chinese Urological Association (CUA), was held from September 19-22, 2024, at the Tianjin National Convention Center. Following the event, Urology Frontier invited Dr. Qiang Wei from West China Hospital, Sichuan University to share insights on the latest advancements in endocrine therapy for prostate cancer, side effect management, and the future research directions of his team.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most common malignancies of the urinary system. In recent years, the exploration of combined immunotherapy strategies in RCC has transformed the treatment landscape, making immuno-targeted therapy the global first-line standard for advanced renal cancer. The 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meeting was held in Barcelona, Spain, from September 13 to 17. During the Urothelial Cancer (non-prostate) Short Oral Presentation session on September 15, Dr. Xinan Sheng from Peking University Cancer Hospital delivered a presentation titled "Anlotinib in combination with the anti-PD-L1 antibody Benmelstobart (TQB2450) versus sunitinib as first-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) - A randomized, open-label, phase III study (ETER100)." This was the only late-breaking abstract (LBA) study from China selected in the field of uro-oncology at this year's ESMO conference. Urology Frontier invited Professor Sheng to elaborate on the current state of advanced renal cancer treatment in China, the survival benefits and safety of combined immunotherapy in advanced RCC, and other key topics.

Renal cancer is one of the three major tumors of the urinary system. Several large phase III studies on combined targeted and immunotherapy have been successful, and the 2024 update of the CSCO renal cancer diagnosis and treatment guidelines has officially brought first-line treatment for advanced renal cancer into the era of combined targeted and immunotherapy in China. But what are the remaining unmet needs for patients with special types of renal cancer? During the 31st Urology Academic Conference held in Tianjin, Urology Frontier invited Dr. Hao Zeng from West China Hospital, Sichuan University to share his insights on the evolving treatment concepts for advanced renal cancer, the value of combined targeted and immunotherapy, and the West China Hospital team’s exploration into treating special types of renal cancer.

The 31st Urology Academic Conference, organized by the Chinese Medical Association and the Chinese Urological Association (CUA), took place from September 19 to 22, 2024, at the National Convention Center in Tianjin. The conference brought together leading urology experts to showcase the latest clinical research and surgical advancements. After the event, Urology Frontier invited Academician Xu Zhang, Chair-Elect of the Chinese Urological Association and Director of the Urology Department at the Chinese PLA General Hospital, to discuss conference highlights, recent advancements in PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy for prostate cancer, and the future development direction of the CUA.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in men, and the widespread use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing has significantly improved early diagnosis rates. However, a series of prostate cancer screening trials in Europe have found that PSA-based screening benefits only a subset of patients. How can more prostate cancer patients benefit from screening? Are there other biomarkers that can be used for screening? A recent article published in European Urology discusses these questions. We have summarized the key points for our readers.

Time rewards those who strive, and success comes to those who persevere. As 2023 draws to a close, the year has left behind many noteworthy achievements in China’s field of urology, especially in the areas of prostate cancer surgery and drug treatments. On this occasion, Urology Frontier interviewed Xu Zhang, Academician of the Chinese PLA General Hospital and a pioneer in laparoscopic techniques in China’s urological surgery. In this interview, he shared significant developments in surgical and medical treatments for prostate cancer over the past year.

At the 2023 ESMO Congress, the field of urothelial carcinoma (UC) witnessed a major breakthrough. The global multicenter Phase III CheckMate-901 study showed that in the first-line treatment of unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC), nivolumab combined with cisplatin-based chemotherapy achieved dual positive results in the co-primary endpoints of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), compared to standard cisplatin chemotherapy (Abstract LBA7). This is the first regimen in nearly 30 years to demonstrate significantly superior survival benefits over cisplatin chemotherapy in this field. Urology Frontier invited Academician Xu Zhang, the Chair-elect of the Urology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association (CUA) and from the Chinese PLA General Hospital, to discuss the general incidence, current diagnosis and treatment status, and recent advances in UC. He also provided an interpretation of the significant immunotherapy study results.

In the winter along the Neckar River, Heidelberg's old town was adorned in snow, providing a fitting backdrop for an academic atmosphere rich in culture and freedom. The "Semi-Live 2024" International Urology Conference and the CGAU Academic Annual Meeting between China and Germany were successfully held from January 18 to 20 in Heidelberg, a hub of European academia. Top urological experts from over 10 countries, including Germany, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, India, and Egypt, attended. Notable participants included Professor Markus Hohenfellner, Chair of Urology at the University of Heidelberg, Professor Vito Pansadoro, Chair of the European Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery Challenge Congress, Professor Richard Hautmann, pioneer of the "orthotopic ileal neobladder procedure," Professor Sascha Pahernik, Director of Urology at Nuremberg Hospital, Professor Liqiu Zhou from Peking University, and Professor Shuo Wang from The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine.