Objective: To determine morphological and biological control as well as toxicity and quality of life (QoL) of men with localized prostate cancer (PCa) treated with MRI-guided focal boost radiotherapy. Material and Methods: 30 patients with PCa and a visible dominant intraprostatic lesion (DIL) identified on mpMRI were included in a prospective Phase II trial. Matching point registration of planning CT and T2W, diffusion-weighted and a gradient-recalled echo (GRE) MRI images made in treatment position was used for prostate and tumour delineation. Treatment consisted on 35 daily fractions of 2.17 Gy with a concomitant focal boost to the DIL of 2.43 Gy using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) with intraprostatic fiducial markers. Biochemical failure was analysed using PSA nadir +2 ng/mL criteria and local control using mpMRI evaluation at 6–9 months following RT. Acute and late toxicity were defined according to CTCAE v.4.0 and RTOG/EORTC scales and QoL was assessed using IPSS, EPIC short-form and UCLA-PCI questionnaires. Results: The median radiation dose to the prostate was 77.6 Gy (IQR 77.3–78.1), and to the DIL was 85.5 Gy (IQR 85.0–86.0). With a median follow up of 30.0 months (IQR 25.5–40.27), all patients remain free of biochemical relapse. An mpMRI complete response was observed in 25 patients during the first post-treatment evaluation at 6 months. The remaining five patients achieved a complete disappearance of the DIL both on T2 and DWI on the second mpMRI performed at 9 months following treatment. Six out of 30 (20%) patients presented acute Grade 2 urinary toxicity with no Grade 3 acute complications. Acute rectal toxicity was only found in 2 (6.6%) patients (both Grade 1). Only late Grade 1 urinary and rectal complications were observed in 3/30 patients, respectively, with no Grade 2 or more late toxicity. The urinary, bowel and sexual bother EPIC scores were slightly and insignificantly increased in the first 3 months post-treatment, returning to normal afterwards. Conclusions: mpMRI-guided focal boost using VMAT hypofractionated technique is associated with an excellent morphological and functional response control and a safe toxicity profile. Advances in knowledge: In the present trial, we examined the potential role of mpMRI for radiological assessment (functional and morphological) of treatment response in high-risk prostate cancer patients treated with MRI-guided focal radiotherapy dose intensification to dominant Intraprostatic lesion.
Background/Objectives: Bladder cancer is characterized by high recurrence and progression rates, posing a challenge to current diagnostic and treatment strategies. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of emerging technologies, including novel PET tracers, AI-assisted cystoscopy, theragnostics, and molecular biomarkers. Methods: We performed a narrative review of the recent literature focusing on innovations in imaging, AI, theragnostics, and biomarker research relevant to bladder cancer diagnosis and management. Results: Several novel PET tracers, such as 68Ga-PSMA and fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI), demonstrated potential in improving detection sensitivity. AI-enhanced cystoscopy has shown promise in real-time lesion detection, while theragnostic agents enable combined diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Advances in molecular biomarkers, including circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) and gene expression signatures, offer new avenues for patient stratification and monitoring. Conclusions: Integration of advanced imaging, AI, theragnostics, and biomarker analysis may transform bladder cancer management, supporting personalized and more effective care strategies.
Background/Objectives: Prostate cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in men and remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Conventional imaging modalities exhibit limited sensitivity, particularly in the context of disease recurrence and advanced disease. Methods: A narrative review was conducted of studies published between 2015 and 2025, identified through PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane. Eligible publications addressed advanced imaging techniques, PSMA-targeted diagnostics and therapies, radiogenomics, liquid biopsy approaches, and artificial intelligence applications and personalized medicine. Preclinical studies, single case reports, and conference abstracts without full text were excluded. Results: PSMA PET/CT outperforms conventional imaging for detection, and restaging, influencing clinical management across disease stages. Lutetium-177–PSMA-617 has become the standard radioligand therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, whereas alpha-emitting agents remain under clinical investigation. Radiogenomics and liquid biopsy assays (ctDNA, CTCs, AR-V7) provide complementary molecular insights. Artificial intelligence enhances imaging interpretations, standardization, and reproducibility, while multimodal data integration supports individualized risk stratification. Integrative models combining imaging, genomic, and liquid biopsy data pave the way toward precision oncology and personalized therapeutic decision-making. Conclusions: Advances in imaging and theragnostics are reshaping prostate cancer management, bridging the gap between molecular biology and clinical practice to enable precision oncology.
Background. Bladder carcinoma has elevated morbimortality due to its high recurrence and progression in localized disease. A better understanding of the role of the tumor microenvironment in carcinogenesis and response to treatment is needed. Methods. Peripheral blood and samples of urothelial bladder cancer and adjacent healthy urothelial tissue were collected from 41 patients and stratified in low- and high-grade urothelial bladder cancer, excluding muscular infiltration or carcinoma in situ. Mononuclear cells were isolated and labeled for flow cytometry analysis with antibodies aimed at identifying specific subpopulations within T lymphocytes, myeloid cells and NK cells. Results. In peripheral blood and tumor samples, we detected different percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes, monocyte and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, as well as differential expression of activation- and exhaustion-related markers. Conversely, only a significant increase in bladder total monocytes was found when comparing bladder and tumor samples. Interestingly, we identified specific markers differentially expressed in the peripheral blood of patients with different outcomes. Conclusion. The analysis of host immune response in patients with NMIBC may help to identify specific markers that allow optimizing therapy and patient follow-up. Further investigation is needed to establish a strong predictive model.
Background/Objectives: Prostate cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in men and remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Conventional imaging modalities exhibit limited sensitivity, particularly in the context of disease recurrence and advanced disease. Methods: A narrative review was conducted of studies published between 2015 and 2025, identified through PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane. Eligible publications addressed advanced imaging techniques, PSMA-targeted diagnostics and therapies, radiogenomics, liquid biopsy approaches, and artificial intelligence applica-tions and personalized medicine. Preclinical studies, single case reports, and conference abstracts without full text were excluded. Results: PSMA PET/CT outperforms conven-tional imaging for detection, and restaging, influencing clinical management across disease stages. Lutetium-177–PSMA-617 has become the standard radioligand therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, whereas alpha-emitting agents remain under clinical investigation. Radiogenomics and liquid biopsy assays (ctDNA, CTCs, AR-V7) provide complementary molecular insights. Artificial intelligence enhances imaging interpretations, standardization, and reproducibility, while multimodal data integration supports individualized risk stratification. Integrative models combining imaging, genomic, and liquid biopsy data pave the way toward precision oncology and personalized therapeutic decision-making. Conclusions: Advances in imaging and theragnostics are reshaping prostate cancer management, bridging the gap between molecular biology and clinical practice to enable precision oncology.
Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is a biologically and clinically heterogeneous disease arising from the bladder and upper urinary tract. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed treatment of advanced UC, yet durable responses remain limited to a minority of patients, underscoring the need to better understand the tumor immune microenvironment (TME). This narrative review examines the UC immune phenotype across disease stages and anatomical sites, integrating evidence from bulk and single-cell transcriptomics, spatial profiling, and translational studies. We describe the principal immune cell populations of the UC TME—including cytotoxic and regulatory T cells, macrophages, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, natural killer cells, B cells, and dendritic cells—and their relationship to established molecular subtypes. We review how this immune landscape evolves from non-muscle-invasive to metastatic disease, including the distinct contexture of upper tract UC and variant histology. We critically evaluate established ICI biomarkers (PD-L1, FGFR3, tumor mutational burden, mismatch repair deficiency) alongside emerging candidates—tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte density, HLA class I expression, tertiary lymphoid structures, and multiparameter transcriptomic scores—noting that most remain investigational and require prospective validation before clinical use. Finally, we address key biological, technical, and clinical barriers to this research and outline future directions in AI-assisted digital pathology and multimodal biomarker integration. A comprehensive characterization of UC immune phenotype is essential to guide rational, biomarker-driven patient selection and optimize next-generation immunotherapy strategies.