Mark Fleming, MD, and Manoj Bupathi, MD, discuss the most anticipated GU data at ASCO 2026

The 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting is expected to deliver several potentially practice-changing advances across genitourinary cancers, with experts particularly focused on new data in prostate, kidney, and bladder cancer. During a discussion ahead of the meeting, Mark Fleming, MD, Chair Emeritus, Genitourinary Cancer Research Executive Committee, SCRI at Virginia Oncology Associates | The US Oncology Network, and Manoj Bupathi, MD, MS, Executive Chair of the Genitourinary Cancer Research Executive Committee for SCRI at Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers | The US Oncology Network, shared the key studies and themes that they expect to dominate the meeting this year.

Both Fleming and Bupathi highlighted the phase 3 PROTEUS trial (NCT03767244) as the most anticipated presentation in GU oncology. The study, which evaluates perioperative apalutamide plus androgen deprivation therapy in patients undergoing surgery for high-risk localized prostate cancer, has been selected for the ASCO plenary session.

Fleming emphasized the significance of the presentation, stating, “It's very exciting in GU to have a plenary session. We don't always have that, so I think that's really kind of the truly practice-[changing] study that we're waiting for.” Both physicians predicted that the trial would meet its primary objectives and could expand treatment options for patients pursuing surgical management of high-risk disease.

Beyond prostate cancer, Bupathi pointed to several notable studies in renal cell carcinoma, including investigations of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a tool to guide adjuvant therapy decisions and analyses from the RAMPART trial examining immunotherapy-related toxicity. He noted that emerging data may help clarify which patients derive the greatest benefit from immunotherapy and whether biomarkers such as ctDNA can better inform treatment selection. Additional presentations in bladder cancer are expected to provide longer-term follow-up on enfortumab vedotin (Padcev) plus pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and new perioperative treatment data incorporating chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy approaches.

The speakers also identified quality-of-life outcomes as an important theme at this year’s meeting, particularly in advanced prostate cancer. Fleming highlighted forthcoming cognitive function data comparing androgen receptor pathway inhibitors, while Bupathi noted the importance of preserving cognitive health for men living with chronic disease.

“That's one of the big things a lot of men talk about—’I don't want to lose my mind, I want to be able to be sharp, I want to be functional,’” Bupathi said. Both experts suggested that these findings, alongside emerging combination strategies involving androgen receptor-targeted therapies and PARP inhibitors in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, could further refine treatment selection and provide patients with additional therapeutic options.