Urologic Oncology: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

Dear Colleagues,

Urologic cancer research is a dynamic and critical field dedicated to unraveling the characteristics of tumors affecting the genitourinary system. Its primary aim is to advance our understanding of urologic cancer in order to improve the management of these complex diseases.

Researchers tirelessly explore the intricate genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of urological cancers, paving the way for personalized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Robotic surgery has become widespread, being already a cornerstone in the treatment of many urologic malignancies. Continuous efforts are being conducted by scientists to improve the accuracy of diagnostic tools, the efficacy and safety of medical treatments, the outcomes of surgical techniques, and, ultimately, the patients' prognosis and quality of life.

In this Special Issue, we invite authors to submit papers on recent advances and future perspectives regarding epidemiology, risk factors, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and/or treatment of the main urologic tumors.

Prof. Dr. Riccardo Autorino
Dr. Celeste Manfredi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Clinics and Practice is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• prostate cancer
• bladder cancer
• upper tract urothelial cancer
• testicular cancer
• renal cancer
• adrenal cancer
• penis cancer
• robotic surgery
• personalized medicine

Title: Ten-Year Trend Analysis of Tissue-Based Genomic Testing in Prostate Cancer: Examining the Utilization of Prolaris, Decipher, ProMark, and Oncotype DX
Abstract: Abstract: Background: Prostate Cancer (PCa) management is moving towards patient-tailored strategies. Advances in molecular and genetic profiling of tumor tissues, when integrated with clinical risk assessments, offer deeper insights into the disease's aggressiveness. This study aims to synthesize an overview of the pivotal genomic tests supporting PCa treatment decisions, analyzing — based on real-world data — trends in their utilization alongside the growth of supporting literature evidence; Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using the extensive PearlDiver™ Mariner database, containing de-identified patient records, in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes were employed to identify patients diagnosed with PCa during the study period — 2011 to 2021. Subsequently, we determined the utilization of primary tissue-based genetic tests (Oncocyte DX®, Prolaris®, Decipher®, ProMark®) administered across all patients diagnosed with PCa. Subsequently, within the overall PCa cohort, patients who had undergone Radical Prostatectomy (RP) and were subjected to genetic testing after surgery were identified. We also evaluated the yearly distribution of these tests illustrating trends with corresponding graphs; Results: Throughout the study period, a total of 1,561,203 patients with PCa diagnosis were recorded. Of the patients diagnosed with PCa, 20,748 were subjected to tissue-based genetic test following diagnosis, constituting 1.3% of the overall cohort. A rising trend is observed for all genetic test. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a statistical significance increase —over time— in the use of individual test (all p-values <0.05). Among the patients who underwent RP, 3,076 were subjected to genetic analysis following surgery, representing 1.27% of this group; Conclusions: Our analysis suggests a growing trend in the utilization of tissue based genomic testing for PCa. Nevertheless, they are used in a <2% of PCa patient either at initial diagnosis or after surgical treatment. While is foreseeable that their use might increase as more scientific evidence accumulates, their role remains to be further elucidated.