Focused issue on urological oncology
Urological cancers are frequent and represent a fair part of our daily business. It is difficult to keep up to date on all changes and developments. The aim of this issue of Translational Andrology and Urology is to provide an overview and update on some of the most important current issues in the field of urological oncology. We luckily could round up internationally recognized leaders in their respective fields to provide you with this structured information in the fascinating and challenging field of urological oncology.
In urothelial malignancies the important topics of high risk bladder cancer management and surgical treatment are addressed, as well as how to cope with upper urinary tract disease. Is neoadjuvant chemotherapy mandatory in all patients? Can we improve nerve sparing? How to manage the upper urinary tract in a population growing older and more morbid?
Recent changes in the field of renal cell cancer raise questions whether every kidney cancer requires treatment and whether radical surgery is required or not. Which patient may be spared the surgery? Is focal treatment an option? With the advent of novel therapeutic agents we need to know whether cytoreductive surgery is necessary and what is the best sequence of oncological treatment in advanced renal cell cancer.
In prostate cancer the pathological Gleason Score is controversial these days in terms of whether treatment is necessary in all and we have input on active surveillance and focal therapy as “new” treatment options. Who is a good candidate? Who not? Finally, despite the fact that there are many new and innovative treatments in advanced and castration resistant prostate cancer, castration resistant prostate cancer seems to evade our efforts. What are the mechanisms behind this? How can we cope with this?
I hope the current issue of Translational Andrology and Urology will offer you the necessary information, update and help you in your everyday practice in a practical and agreeable form.
Department of Urology, University Hospital of Bern, Inselspital, 3010 Bern, Switzerland. (Email:george.thalmann@insel.ch.)
