Heterogeneity of urinary system tumors: novel avenues for targeted therapy and precision medicine

Urinary system tumors, including bladder, kidney, and prostate cancers, impose a substantial health burden worldwide and exhibit significant molecular and genetic heterogeneity.

of Review: This review delves into the intricate landscape of targeted therapy for urinary system tumors and its pivotal role in advancing precision medicine. Key Scientific Concepts of Review: Urinary system tumors include kidney cancer, bladder cancer, and prostate cancer. They exhibit remarkable heterogeneity at the molecular level, which challenges the effectiveness of conventional treatments. Compared with conventional therapy, precision medicine is a tailored approach that customizes treatments for individual patients on the basis of their unique genetic, molecular, and clinical profiles. In general, precision medicine discovers targets through multiomics data, and targeted therapy develops drugs on the basis of these targets. Targeted therapy focuses on the discernment of specific molecular or genetic aberrations that are distinct to cancer cells, thereby demarcating them from their healthy counterparts. Several molecular targets driving these malignancies are summarized among the current state of approved targeted therapies. Limitations include the emergence of resistance mechanisms and the potential for adverse effects. In the pursuit of precision medicine, this review scrutinizes innovative approaches, including biomarker utilization, genomics, and personalized treatments, which demonstrate potential in customizing therapies to individual patients. In conclusion, this review illuminates the pivotal role of targeted therapy in the context of heterogeneous urinary system tumors and underscores its potential to drive the precision medicine paradigm forward.