Advancing Approaches in Treating Genitourinary Cancers: Evolving Paradigms of Minimally-Invasive Interventions

Technology is evolving rapidly, and its impact in the field of urology, cannot be ignored. In recent decades, novel strategies have emerged as alternatives to conventional open surgery for treating genitourinary cancers. These progressive approaches, now integrated into clinical practice, encompass robotic surgery, radiation therapy, and ablation techniques, showing substantial promise. Notably, robotic surgery, first applied to urology in the early 2000s, has gained traction as a feasible substitute for open surgery across various uro-oncological procedures. Moreover, as key patents expired new robotic platforms have been introduced in the market and eventually, in clinical practice. Similarly, radiation therapy, with or without chemotherapy and hormonal therapy, has become a valid replacement for radical surgical interventions. Additionally, cutting-edge ablation methods—such as cryoablation, HIFU, and radiofrequency ablation—present an innovative means of targeting and eradicating tumor focal points guided by imaging, standing in for major surgical procedures.



All these advancements in treatment aim to minimize perioperative complications, hospital stays, and expenses while preserving long-term oncological outcomes. Some of these treatment modes have already demonstrated success in specific scenarios, as seen in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy for prostate cancer. However, the pursuit of even more pioneering approaches (e.g., tri-modality therapy for bladder cancer, ablation techniques for prostate cancer or small renal masses) and the maximization of benefits from these novel treatments (e.g., single-port robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, ICG-guided robot-assisted partial nephrectomy) continue through ongoing refinements.



To address the ongoing proliferation of these innovative treatment modalities, the scope of this Research Topic is to concentrate on avant-garde approaches for clinical application in the realm of genitourinary malignancies. We eagerly invite submissions of Original Research, Reviews, Systematic Reviews, and Mini-Reviews.