Editor’s Note: The situation of urological tumors in China is not optimistic, with the incidence of kidney cancer increasing annually by 4% to 7%. There is an urgent need to explore new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to improve incidence rates and patient prognosis. The 39th Annual Congress of the European Association of Urology (EAU24) was held from April 5 to 8, 2024, in Paris, France. Oncology Frontier invited Professor Tongyi Men from the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University to share his insights from the conference and advancements in kidney cancer research.
Oncology Frontier: What are your impressions of this year’s conference? Which research advancements announced at this conference interest you the most?
Professor Tongyi Men: It is a pleasure to attend the EAU academic conference in Paris, France. In recent years, we have been delighted to see Chinese urological oncology scholars gradually stepping onto the global stage, showcasing the wisdom, skills, and capabilities of Chinese professionals in Europe and worldwide. As a member of the Chinese urology community, I feel very proud. This year’s EAU Conference was highly rewarding, providing me with new knowledge and the opportunity to meet many leading experts in urological oncology. I hope to participate in more academic conferences in the future to enrich my knowledge and better serve my patients.
The conference presented several research advancements, and I am particularly interested in the recent studies on combined targeted and immunotherapy for kidney cancer. For patients with advanced kidney cancer, studies such as KEYNOTE-426 and CheckMate-9ER have shown that targeted and immunotherapy treatments are significantly effective, markedly improving patient survival and quality of life. As research in this field continues to advance, new findings are constantly emerging, offering more hope for improving the outcomes of patients with advanced kidney cancer.
Oncology Frontier: In your focused research area, what future directions are worth exploring?
Professor Tongyi Men: Compared to gastrointestinal and respiratory system tumors, urological tumors receive less attention. Despite the availability of numerous treatment options, the outcomes often fall short of ideal, especially for patients with advanced kidney cancer. In the future, we should further explore comprehensive tumor treatments, basic and clinical research, and surgical treatments. We also look forward to more research findings being published, providing urology professionals with more options and benefiting a broader range of patients.
Professor Tongyi Men
- Organ Transplant Center, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University
- Professor, Shandong University, Doctoral Supervisor
- Chief Expert and Academic Leader of Organ Transplantation at the Affiliated Liaocheng People’s Hospital of Shandong First Medical University
- Deputy Director of the Organ Transplantation Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and Head of the Transplant Infection Group
- Vice President of the Organ Transplantation Professional Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association and Deputy Director of the Living Organ Transplantation Professional Committee
- Deputy Director of the Kidney Transplantation Professional Committee of the China International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Health Care
- Deputy Director of the Transplantation Rehabilitation Professional Committee of the Chinese Rehabilitation Medical Association
- Deputy Director of the Dialysis Transplantation Branch of the Chinese Society for Biomedical Engineering (CDTA)
- Member of the “Scientific Committee of Human Organ Allocation and Sharing Computer System” in China
- Editorial Board Member of the Chinese Journal of Organ Transplantation
- Chairman of the Organ Transplantation Branch of the Shandong Medical Association
- Deputy Chairman of the Urology Professional Committee of the Shandong Medical Association
