Isaac Kim, MD, on advances driving the future of prostate cancer outcomes

In the following video, Isaac Y. Kim, MD, PhD, MBA, highlights concerns about stalled progress in prostate cancer mortality reduction while expressing optimism that advances in diagnostics, treatment, and artificial intelligence could improve long-term outcomes. These views were expressed in a recent editorial published in Urologic Oncology.¹

Kim is the chair of the Department of Urology at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.

Kim explains that although prostate cancer mortality rates have remained relatively stable in recent years, the plateau is concerning because it follows a prior decade marked by significant declines in mortality. He notes that the decrease in prostate cancer screening over the past decade, following pushback against widespread prostate-specific antigen–based screening, coincided with rising rates of advanced prostate cancer diagnoses. Although the overall percentage of men dying from prostate cancer over their lifetime has remained relatively unchanged, Kim emphasizes that the halt in mortality improvement raises important questions about whether mortality rates could begin increasing again. He adds that researchers are continuing to investigate the underlying causes of these trends and that more robust data will be necessary to fully understand the impact of changing screening practices.

Looking ahead, Kim says advances in diagnostic stratification will likely play a major role in improving patient outcomes. He explains that earlier concerns surrounding prostate cancer screening stemmed from the inability to distinguish indolent disease from aggressive cancers, which led to overtreatment in many patients. According to Kim, the field has since evolved considerably with the addition of multiparametric MRI, urinary biomarkers, serum-based markers, and genomic testing tools such as Decipher, which can better identify men at risk for aggressive disease. These advances, he says, allow clinicians to more confidently pursue active surveillance in lower-risk patients while directing aggressive treatment toward those most likely to benefit.

Kim also points to substantial improvements in treatment approaches, including advances in radiation therapy, surgery, and focal therapy techniques that have reduced complications and improved patient management compared with prior decades. Beyond currently available therapies, he says, emerging technologies and investigational concepts under development could further transform prostate cancer care in the coming years. Kim highlights the potential of artificial intelligence to enable more precise, individualized treatment selection by helping clinicians determine which therapies are most likely to benefit specific patients. Taken together, he says, these innovations contribute to his cautiously optimistic outlook that prostate cancer mortality could decline over the next several decades.

REFERENCE

1. Brutus NN, Rabil MJ, Kim IY. Prostate cancer deaths will decrease by 2050. Urol Oncol. 2026;44(3):110971. doi:10.1016/j.urolonc.2025.12.007