Accelerating Breakthroughs in Genitourinary Cancers

Genitourinary (GU) cancers, which include bladder, prostate, and kidney cancers, are among the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide and contribute significantly to the global cancer burden.¹ With an estimated 2.6 million new cases diagnosed each year, GU cancers now account for over 1 in 8 of all cancer diagnoses worldwide.¹ This results in nearly 795,000 deaths annually, a jaw dropping number that is only expected to increase in the coming years and decades.¹

Focused on addressing these unmet needs across all disease stages of GU cancers, at Pfizer, we aspire to accelerate breakthroughs that help people with these difficult-to-treat cancers live better and longer lives.

This week, Pfizer will present more than 20 abstracts from its leading GU portfolio and growing pipeline at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary (ASCO GU) Cancers Symposium, a scientific conference that highlights the latest advances in the field, including data in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer (la/mUC), and non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Additional presentations include data on Pfizer’s established therapies for patients with advanced prostate cancer and renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

As we look to improve patient outcomes and usher in new standards of care, it's also important to understand the GU cancer treatment landscape—where it's been and where it's going—as well as the unique needs of people living with these diseases.

Advancing Treatment Outcomes in GU Cancers

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in over 100 countries.² Approximately 1.5 million new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed worldwide in 2022, and that number is predicted to climb globally to 2.9 million per year by 2040, highlighting the critical need to help improve patient outcomes.^1,3

In fact, until the late 1990s, prostate cancer received little research attention, with treatment options limited to hormone therapy and chemotherapy.^1,4,5 Significant advancements in cancer research have been made since then, particularly through the development of androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARPIs), which inhibit a protein crucial to prostate cancer cell growth. ARPIs have become the standard of care across various stages of advanced prostate cancer.⁶ Our commitment to improving the outcomes of patients with prostate cancer is demonstrated by continuing to study medications in our prostate cancer portfolio and exploring combinations and new mechanisms of action to potentially provide more treatment options for patients with prostate cancer.

Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer, or urothelial cancer, is the ninth most common cancer worldwide.⁷ In 2022, there were over 600,000 new cases of bladder cancer diagnosed, with approximately 220,000 deaths from the disease globally.¹ By 2040, the number of new bladder cancer cases is expected to increase to 991,000.⁸ While rates for bladder cancer have been declining in recent years, many patients still see their cancer progress.

Historically, advanced bladder cancer relied on platinum chemotherapy.⁹ Through clinical trials and ongoing innovations that help improve patient outcomes, we have advanced the treatment landscape, transforming the standard of care for patients with la/mUC.⁹ Our commitment to these patients is unwavering as we continue to develop new therapies to treat patients across the bladder cancer continuum from early to advanced stages. 

Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer starts in the tissue of the kidneys and is commonly referred to as renal cell carcinoma (RCC).¹⁰ RCC is the most common type of kidney cancer, accounting for approximately 9 out of 10 cases of the disease.^11,12 Each year, approximately 400,000 new cases of kidney cancer are diagnosed worldwide, and this number is expected to rise to 638,000 new cases by 2040.^13,14 Unfortunately, it is often diagnosed late with approximately 20-30% of people first diagnosed at an advanced stage.¹⁵

Two decades ago, the prognosis for patients with advanced RCC was poor with treatment options that had low efficacy and significant side effects.¹⁶ To meet the significant needs of these patients, we have developed multiple targeted therapies and continue to pioneer new combination therapies to help improve patient outcomes.¹⁷

How Pfizer is Taking the Lead in GU Cancer Care

At Pfizer, we aspire to help change the current statistics on these types of cancers. Building on Pfizer’s legacy of over 20 years in GU oncology, Pfizer is proud to present and showcase new data on approved treatments and novel investigational molecules in our clinical pipeline at the upcoming ASCO GU meeting. 

“Through the power of science, we aim to set new standards for meaningful impact, envisioning a world where people with GU cancers live better and longer lives by addressing unmet needs across all disease stages,” said Chris Boshoff, Chief Scientific Officer and President, Research & Development.  “At ASCO GU, we look forward to sharing updates to our expanding pipeline of investigational novel targeted therapies and combination approaches that show promise in meeting diverse patient needs.” 

Ongoing research is essential to identify new medicines to treat GU cancers and we continue to help drive the next wave of treatment advancements by investigating various novel and differentiated molecules in our pipeline. Within our seven approved treatments to date, we have established new standards of care across prostate, bladder, and kidney cancers. We are focused on developing treatments across different subtypes, stages, and modalities including next generation cell and hormone inhibitors, novel ADCs, and novel combination approaches, all in the name of helping to improve patient care.

References

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2. James ND, Tannock I, N’Dow J, et al. The Lancet Commission on prostate cancer: Planning for the surge in cases. The Lancet. 2024;403(10437):1683-1722. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(24)00651-2.
3. Prostate cancer cases expected to double worldwide between 2020 and 2040, new analysis suggests. Prostate Cancer Foundation. April 4, 2024. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://www.pcf.org/news/prostate-cancer-cases-expected-to-double-worldwide-between-2020-and-2040-new-analysis-suggests/ 
4. American Cancer Society. Prostate cancer. In: American Cancer Society. Facts & Figures 2024. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society; 2024. Available from: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/prostate-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
5. National Cancer Institute. Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer. Updated October 4, 2024. 
6. Bolek H, Yazgan SC, Yekedüz E, Kaymakcalan MD, McKay RR, Gillessen S, Ürün Y. Androgen receptor pathway inhibitors and drug-drug interactions in prostate cancer. ESMO Open. 2024;9(11):103736. doi: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2024.103736.
7. Bladder cancer statistics. World Cancer Research Fund International. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://www.wcrf.org/cancer-trends/bladder-cancer-statistics/ 
8. Zhang Y, Rumgay H, Li M, Yu H, Pan H, Ni J. The global landscape of bladder cancer incidence and mortality in 2020 and projections to 2040. J Glob Health. 2023;13:04109. doi:10.7189/jogh.13.04109.
9. Zhang T, Tan A, Shah AY, Iyer G, Morris V, Michaud S, Sridhar SS. Reevaluating the role of platinum-based chemotherapy in the evolving treatment landscape for patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma. Oncologist. 2024 Dec 6;29(12):1003-1013. doi: 10.1093/oncolo/oyae215. PMID: 39167703; PMCID: PMC11630754.
10. What is Kidney Cancer? American Cancer Society. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/kidney-cancer/about/what-is-kidney-cancer.html
11. Renal cell carcinoma. National Cancer Institute. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/renal-cell-carcinoma
12. Renal Cell Carcinoma. European Association of Urology. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://uroweb.org/guidelines/renal-cell-carcinoma/chapter/epidemiology-aetiology-and-pathology
13. Tully KH, Berg S, Paciotti M, et al. The Natural History of Renal-Cell Carcinoma with Sarcomatoid Differentiation, a Stage-by-Stage Analysis. Clin Genitourin Cancer. Published online November 24, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.clgc.2022.11.015.
14. World Health Organization. Global Cancer Observatory. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://gco.iarc.fr/tomorrow/en/dataviz/isotype?cancers=29&single_unit=50000&years=2040
15. Don't ignore these symptoms of kidney cancer. UCLA Health. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/dont-ignore-these-symptoms-of-kidney-cancer
16. Koneru R, Hotte SJ. Role of cytokine therapy for renal cell carcinoma in the era of targeted agents. Curr Oncol. 2009 May;16 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S40-4. doi: 10.3747/co.v16i0.417. PMID: 19478896; PMCID: PMC2687800.
17. National Cancer Institute. Targeted Therapy–Immunotherapy Combinations Effective for Advanced Kidney Cancer. Cancer Currents Blog. Published April 22, 2019. Accessed November 12, 2024. https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2019/kidney-cancer-immunotherapy-targeted-therapy-combination