Book Description
Genitourinary tumors consist of a large variety of malignancies located in the urinary and the reproductive systems, mainly including prostate cancer, bladder cancer, and renal tumors. Apart from surgeries, various systemic treatments have been used for the whole-course management of genitourinary tumors, including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy. However, the characteristics of progression, metastasis, and drug resistance deriving from tumors require and breed novel treatments. Furthermore, exploring biomarkers of genitourinary tumors at the early stage is also beneficial to strengthen the management of patients with tumors. Additionally, the diagnostic and prognostic value of the potential biomarkers for immunotherapy and combined therapy of genitourinary tumors are underexplored. On the basis of precision treatments, the advent of immune-based therapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs, antibodies targeting PD-L1 /PD-1 and CTLA-4 pathways), tumor vaccines, and other therapies, has extended the scope of treatment modalities. FDA has until now approved the clinical application of immune checkpoint inhibitors in a wide range of diseases including some types of genitourinary tumors, whereas not all patients with genitourinary tumors are suitable for immune-based therapies, therefore, the understanding of its underlying mechanism is key to develop effective treatments based on current ICI-based immunotherapy.
