In 2025, the field of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) advanced decisively along the dual pathways of precision and combination therapy. Landmark developments reshaped clinical practice across disease stages: perioperative targeted–immunotherapy combinations that altered surgical paradigms for locally advanced disease; long-term survival data confirming the durability of first-line immunotherapy-based regimens; innovative later-line strategies overcoming therapeutic resistance; and biomarker-driven approaches enabling molecularly guided treatment for rare non–clear cell subtypes.

With the continuous advancement of scientific research, treatment strategies for urologic malignancies have evolved far beyond traditional chemotherapy. Targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and radioligand therapies are now reshaping the therapeutic landscape.

In recent years, the combination of targeted therapy and immunotherapy has substantially improved systemic outcomes for patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). However, whether these regimens can be effectively deployed in the preoperative setting as conversion therapy—enhancing surgical resectability and nephron preservation—has lacked prospective real-world validation. Furthermore, their impact on the tumor immune microenvironment remains incompletely understood.

The year 2025 marked a turning point in the management of advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC). Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) demonstrated overwhelming advantages in the first-line setting, fundamentally challenging the long-standing dominance of platinum-based chemotherapy.

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 the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Professor Jiwei Huang, on behalf of the research team, delivered an oral presentation reporting the latest efficacy and safety data from a multicenter, single-arm, Phase II clinical study. The trial evaluated fruquintinib in combination with serplulimab as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic or unresectable non–clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC).

At a recent international oncology conference, Professor Tom Powles from the Barts Cancer Centre in London presented the latest results from the RC48-G001 study. This global, multicenter Phase 2 trial evaluated disitamab vedotin (RC48) in patients with HER2-expressing, previously treated advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC). As a HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) utilizing a monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) payload, RC48 has previously demonstrated efficacy in biomarker-selected cohorts in China. This global study further validates its clinical utility across a broader, international patient population.

At a recent academic session, Professor Taigo Kato from the Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine presented the preliminary results of the MONSTAR-SCREEN-3 study. The study investigates the clinical utility of an ultra-sensitive whole-genome sequencing (WGS)-based circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assay for the detection of molecular residual disease (MRD) in patients with resectable renal cell carcinoma (RCC).