Germline testing is becoming increasingly relevant in prostate cancer (PCa) screening, prognosis, and management. A subset of patients with PCa harbor pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (P/LPVs) in genes mediating DNA-repair processes, and these P/LPVs have implications for cancer screening, treatment, and cascade testing. As a result, it is recommended that all men with high-risk localized and metastatic PCa undergo routine germline testing. As more PCa patients undergo germline testing, it is important that clinicians and genetics experts recognize current disparities in germline testing rates among racial/ethnic minorities in the United States. The reasons for these disparities are multiple and require similarly manifold consideration to close the germline testing gap and reduce inequities in PCa screening, management, and treatment.

Health disparities in urologic oncology, particularly in prostate, bladder, kidney, and testicular cancers, significantly impact patient outcomes across different demographic groups. This narrative review aims to investigate the extent and drivers of these disparities, focusing on the influence of race, socioeconomic status, and geographic location on diagnosis, treatment, and survival outcomes. We conducted a comprehensive review of the existing literature and analyzed data from national cancer databases to identify patterns of inequity. Our findings reveal that minority populations, individuals with lower socioeconomic status, and those residing in underserved areas are less likely to receive timely and guideline-based care, leading to worse outcomes. This review underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions, including policy reforms, health system restructuring, enhanced community outreach, and increased funding for disparity-focused research, to ensure equitable access to high-quality oncologic care. Addressing these disparities is crucial for improving cancer outcomes and achieving health equity in urologic oncology.

There is growing evidence that the microbiome is involved in development and treatment of many human diseases, including prostate cancer. There are several potential pathways for microbiome-based mechanisms for the development of prostate cancer: direct impacts of microbes or microbial products in the prostate or the urine, and indirect impacts from microbes or microbial products in the gastrointestinal tract. Unique microbial signatures have been identified within the stool, oral cavity, tissue, urine, and blood of prostate cancer patients, but studies vary in their findings. Recent studies describe potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications of the microbiome, but further clinical investigation is needed. In this review, we explore the existing literature on the discovery of the human microbiome and its relationship to prostate cancer.

Opinion statement

The treatment landscape of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has evolved significantly over the past three decades. Active surveillance and tumor ablation are alternatives to extirpative therapy in appropriately selected patients. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an emerging noninvasive alternative to treat primary RCC tumors. The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has greatly improved the overall survival of advanced RCC, and now the ICI-based doublet (dual ICI-ICI doublet; or ICI in combination with a vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, ICI-TKI doublet) has become the standard frontline therapy. Based on unprecedented outcomes in the metastatic with ICIs, they are also being explored in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting for patients with high-risk disease. Adjuvant pembrolizumab has proven efficacy to reduce the risk of RCC recurrence after nephrectomy. Historically considered a radioresistant tumor, SBRT occupies an expanding role to treat RCC with oligometastasis or oligoprogression in combination with systemic therapy. Furthermore, SBRT is being investigated in combination with ICI-doublet in the advanced disease setting. Lastly, given the treatment paradigm is shifting to adopt ICIs at earlier disease course, the prospective studies guiding treatment sequencing in the post-ICI setting is maturing. The effort is ongoing in search of predictive biomarkers to guide optimal treatment option in RCC.

Background

Little is known regarding the rate and clinical outcomes of asymptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2 among patients with cancer. Detection of asymptomatic carriers is important in this population given the use of myelosuppressive and immunomodulating therapies. Understanding the asymptomatic carrier rate will help to develop mitigation strategies in this high-risk cohort.

Methods

Retrospective cohort analysis of an asymptomatic screening protocol which required patients receiving infusional anti-cancer therapy to undergo a symptom/exposure screen and SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing 24-96 h prior to their infusion. The primary outcome of this analysis was the rate of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Secondary outcomes included the rate of COVID-19-related hospitalization and mortality and delays in oncologic therapy.

Results

Among a cohort of 2691 cancer patients who underwent asymptomatic screening, 1.6% (N = 43/2691) of patients were found to be SARS-CoV-2 positive on asymptomatic screening. 11.6% (N = 5/43) of the cohort ultimately developed COVID-19-related symptoms. Four patients required hospitalization for complications of COVID-19 infection. No patient died from COVID-related complications. 97.7% (N = 42/43) had their anti-cancer therapy delayed or deferred with a median delay of 21 days (range: 7-77 days).

Conclusions

Overall, among a cohort of active cancer patients receiving anti-cancer therapy, an asymptomatic SARS-CoV2 PCR-based screening protocol detected a small cohort of asymptomatic carriers. The majority of these patients remained asymptomatic on long-term follow-up and outcomes were much more favorable compared to previously described outcomes of cancer patients with symptomatic COVID-19 infection.

Evidence supporting radical prostatectomy (RP) for men with clinically node-positive (cN+) prostate cancer (PC) is limited. In a US national database, we identified 741 men with cN+ nonmetastatic PC diagnosed during 2000-2015 who underwent definitive local therapy with RP (n=78), radiotherapy (RT) with neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) (n=193), or nondefinitive therapy with ADT alone (n=445) or observation (n=25). We compared PC-specific mortality (PCSM) and all-cause mortality (ACM) using multivariable Fine-Gray competing risk regression and Cox regression, respectively. Compared to nondefinitive therapy, RP was associated with significantly better PCSM (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR] 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.16-0.66; p=0.002) and ACM (HR 0.36, 95% CI 0.21-0.61; p<0.001). Compared to RT, RP was not associated with a significant difference in PCSM (SHR 0.47, 95% CI 0.19-1.17; p=0.1) or ACM (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.46-1.70; p=0.71). These data suggest that RP is associated with favorable survival outcomes that appear to be superior to those for patients who did not receive definitive therapy and comparable to those for patients receiving definitive ADT/RT. Randomized trials of surgery with multimodal therapy are needed. PATIENT SUMMARY: We found that in clinically node-positive prostate cancer, radical prostatectomy was associated with a cancer-specific and overall survival benefit compared to nondefinitive therapy. Randomized clinical trials are required to determine the best treatment approach in this patient population.

A comprehensive evaluation of the clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) immune landscape was found using 584 RNA-sequencing datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we identified 17 key dysregulated immune-associated genes in ccRCC based on association with clinical variables and important immune pathways. Of the numerous findings from our analyses, we found that several of the 17 key dysregulated genes are heavily involved in interleukin and NF-kB signaling and that somatic copy number alteration (SCNA) hotspots may be causally associated with gene dysregulation. More importantly, we also found that key immune-associated genes and pathways are strongly upregulated in ccRCC. Our study may lend novel insights into the clinical implications of immune dysregulation in ccRCC and suggests potential immunotherapeutic targets for further evaluation.

5025 Background: The acid phosphatase 1 ( ACP1) gene encodes low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMPTP), which is overexpressed in PCa. Previous studies demonstrate that LMPTP plays a critical role in PCa growth and metastasis and is evolving as a potential therapeutic target. Thus, we analyzed ACP1 expression in primary and metastatic PCa samples and the association of ACP1 with molecular profiles and clinical outcomes. Methods: NextGen sequencing of DNA (592-gene/whole exome) and RNA (whole transcriptome) was performed for PCa specimens (n=5028) submitted to Caris Life Sciences. ACP1-High/Low expression was defined as quartile 4 (Q4) and 1 (Q1) of RNA transcripts per million (TPM). DNA mutational profiles were analyzed for samples stratified by ACP1 expression quartiles. Gene set enrichment analysis was used to assess the Hallmark collection of cancer pathways. Tumor cell PD-L1+ status (≥2+, ≥5%; SP142) was tested by immunohistochemistry. Immune cell fractions in the tumor microenvironment (TME) were estimated by RNA deconvolution using QuanTIseq. Overall survival (OS) was assessed from the time of specimen collection to death or last follow-up, with hazard ratio (HR) calculated using the Cox proportional hazards model, and P values calculated using the log-rank test. Results: Samples included 3058 (60.8%) derived from the prostate, 634 (12.6%) from lymph node metastases (LNM), and 1307 (26.0%) from distant metastases (DM). ACP1 expression was higher in LNM and DM than in the prostate (49.8 and 47.9, respectively, vs 44.1 TPM, p<0.0001 each). TP53 mutations were enriched in the highest ACP1 quartile (37.9% Q4 vs 27.0% Q1, p<0.001) among prostate samples but not LNM or DM. Pathways associated with cell cycle regulation, oxidative phosphorylation, and androgen response were enriched in Q4, while epithelial-mesenchymal transition and TNF-α signaling via NFKB pathways were enriched in Q1. Both neuroendocrine and androgen receptor signaling increased in Q4. M2 macrophages and NK cell fractions were increased, while T cells and M1 macrophages were decreased in Q4. PD-L1 expression did not differ by ACP1 expression. High ACP1 was associated with worse OS among prostate tumors (63.4 vs 86.3 months (mos) in ACP1-high vs low tumors, HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3-1.7, p<0.0001) and DM (22.0 vs 27.7 mos in ACP1-high vs low tumors, HR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0-1.4, p<0.05) but not LNM (31.9 vs 30.9 mos in ACP1-high vs low tumors, HR 1.0, 95% CI 0.8-1.3, p=0.88). OS from the start of ARSI and taxane chemotherapy was similar in ACP1 high/low groups across prostate, LNM, and DM. Conclusions: In the largest study investigating the significance of ACP1 expression in PCa, we demonstrate that ACP1-high tumors exhibit a distinct molecular profile enriched for TP53 alterations and associated with a ‘cold’ TME. Our findings may provide a rationale for novel therapeutic targeting of ACP1-high tumors.