Next Article in Journal
Reversal of Myofibroblast Apoptosis Resistance and Collagen Deposition by Phaseoloidin-Induced Autophagy Attenuates Pulmonary Fibrosis
Previous Article in Journal
Determinants of QTc Interval Prolongation in Patients with Hypopituitarism and Other Pituitary Disorders
Previous Article in Special Issue
Current Status and Future Perspectives of Nuclear Medicine in Prostate Cancer from Imaging to Therapy: A Comprehensive Review
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Biomedicines
Volume 13
Issue 11
10.3390/biomedicines13112678
biomedicines-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Editorial

Urogenital Cancers: New Molecular and Translational Aspects on Carcinogenesis and Treatments

by
Anna Perri
1,†,
Vittoria Rago
1,† and
Silvia Di Agostino
2,*,†
1
Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
2
Department of Health Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Biomedicines 2025, 13(11), 2678; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13112678
Submission received: 16 October 2025 / Accepted: 22 October 2025 / Published: 31 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urogenital Cancers: New Molecular and Translational Aspects on Carcinogenesis and Treatments)
Versions Notes
Over the past twenty years, owing to the spread of screening programs, the incidence of urogenital cancers has shown an increasing trend, especially for certain types of cancer, such as endometrial and ovarian cancers in women and prostate cancer in men [1]. Urogenital cancers include multiple malignancies of the urogenital tract, and each type of tumor exhibits different gender-related risk factors and unique mechanisms of progression and metastasis, therefore requiring different and specific therapeutic approaches [2,3,4,5,6].
An early and as accurate as possible diagnosis, also throughout the stratification by molecular biomarkers, allows for therapeutic intervention that is as targeted as possible to the pathological and molecular characteristics of the tumor [7,8,9,10,11,12,13].
Molecular markers play an important role in early tumor diagnosis, patient stratification, development of new therapies, disease monitoring, and prognosis [14,15,16,17]. However, reliable biomarkers for some urogenital tumors are still lacking, making therapies less effective [18,19,20,21,22].
Briefly, the primary objective of the “Urogenital Cancers: New Molecular and Translational Aspects on Carcinogenesis and Treatments” Special Issue was to discuss the most current aspects of these heterogeneous tumors, exploring novel molecular mechanisms that could shed light on the identification of specific targets that may be useful for precision therapies. The Special Issue also focused on contributions describing novel treatment and diagnosis approaches for urogenital tumors.
The contributions included three reviews and eight original research articles, which revealed that the most studied malignancies were bladder, prostate, and ovarian cancers. The most frequently discussed topics included the metastatic mechanisms of these tumors, the identification of specific biomarkers for tumor progression and response to therapy, and the validation of new therapeutic strategies to bypassing resistance to conventional therapies [23,24,25,26].
Most of the manuscripts published in this Special Issue fall into the following three broad categories:
Biomarkers, which, as previously mentioned, are the starting point for accurate diagnosis, monitoring the effectiveness of therapy, and evaluating patient outcomes. The studies provided important findings, for example developing a biomarker-based nomogram to predict response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer and their relapse risk [27]. Transcriptomic analysis from bone-metastatic prostate cancer [28] or DNA methylation patterns in testicular germ cell tumors [29] have shown promising key molecular targets for the development of novel therapeutic approaches.
Therapy is the biggest goal in cancer research, and some studies have reported new approaches, for example in bladder cancer and prostate cancer [30,31,32].
Nutrients, including selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) could impact the survival of patients, and the role of Se and Zn in cancer outcome is still sparsely investigated. Selenium and zinc were investigated in the blood and serum of kidney cancer patients, showing that low selenium concentrations and combined selenium–zinc deficiencies were associated with significantly worse 10-year survival [33]. These findings suggest that micronutrient profiling may inform new preventive or supportive interventions.
The bulk of papers published in this Special Issue highlighted the importance of genomic instability, DNA damage and repair mechanisms, and drug resistance for improving diagnostic methods; understanding the mechanisms of progression and metastasis of urogenital tumors; and, consequently, developing appropriate treatments for patients.
In the future, we hope that factors such as dietary habits, the influence of the microbiome, and viral infections will provide further insights into this type of tumor. Furthermore, more intensive study of the intratumoral heterogeneity of each tumor and its influence on treatment success would be desirable.
Overall, the diverse scientific contributions highlighted that integrating multidisciplinary approaches will be essential for addressing the therapeutic challenges posed by these heterogeneous and complex neoplasms and improving patient care in the era of personalized molecular medicine.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, writing, review and editing, A.P., V.R. and S.D.A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

  1. Holtedahl, K.; Borgquist, L.; Donker, G.A.; Buntinx, F.; Weller, D.; Campbell, C.; Månsson, J.; Hammersley, V.; Braaten, T.; Parajuli, R. Symptoms and signs of urogenital cancer in primary care. BMC Prim. Care 2023, 24, 107. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  2. Yaxley, J.P. Urinary tract cancers: An overview for general practice. J. Fam. Med. Prim. Care 2016, 5, 533–538. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  3. Birtle, A.; Johnson, M.; Chester, J.; Jones, R.; Dolling, D.; Bryan, R.T.; Harris, C.; Winterbottom, A.; Blacker, A.; Catto, J.W.F.; et al. Adjuvant chemotherapy in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (the POUT trial): A phase 3, open-label, randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2020, 395, 1268–1277. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  4. Matulonis, U.A.; Sood, A.K.; Fallowfield, L.; Howitt, B.E.; Sehouli, J.; Karlan, B.Y. Ovarian cancer. Nat. Rev. Dis. Primers 2016, 2, 16061. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  5. Smolarz, B.; Biernacka, K.; Łukasiewicz, H.; Samulak, D.; Piekarska, E.; Romanowicz, H.; Makowska, M. Ovarian Cancer-Epidemiology, Classification, Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Estrogen Receptors’ Molecular Backgrounds. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26, 4611. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  6. Dyrskjøt, L.; Hansel, D.E.; Efstathiou, J.A.; Knowles, M.A.; Galsky, M.D.; Teoh, J.; Theodorescu, D. Bladder cancer. Nat. Rev. Dis. Primers 2023, 9, 58. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  7. Hanahan, D. Hallmarks of Cancer: New Dimensions. Cancer Discov. 2022, 12, 31–46. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  8. Danishuddin Haque, M.A.; Khan, S.; Kim, J.J.; Ahmad, K. Molecular Landscape of Bladder Cancer: Key Genes, Transcription Factors, and Drug Interactions. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 10997. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  9. Nedjadi, T.; Ansari, H.; Khan, M.A.; Sannan, N.; Al-Mansour, M.; Al-Maghrabi, J.; Dallol, A. Clinical relevance of the somatic mutational landscaping in predicting outcome of bladder cancer patients. Sci. Rep. 2025, 15, 23292. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  10. Guo, C.C.; Lee, S.; Lee, J.G.; Chen, H.; Zaleski, M.; Choi, W.; McConkey, D.J.; Wei, P.; Czerniak, B. Molecular profile of bladder cancer progression to clinically aggressive subtypes. Nat. Rev. Urol. 2024, 21, 391–405. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  11. Schweizer, L.; Kenny, H.A.; Krishnan, R.; Kelliher, L.; Bilecz, A.J.; Heide, J.; Donle, L.; Shimizu, A.; Metousis, A.; Mendoza, R.; et al. Spatial proteo-transcriptomic profiling reveals the molecular landscape of borderline ovarian tumors and their invasive progression. Cancer Cell 2025, 43, 1495–1511.e7. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  12. Büttner, F.A.; Winter, S.; Stühler, V.; Rausch, S.; Hennenlotter, J.; Füssel, S.; Zastrow, S.; Meinhardt, M.; Toma, M.; Jerónimo, C.; et al. A novel molecular signature identifies mixed subtypes in renal cell carcinoma with poor prognosis and independent response to immunotherapy. Genome Med. 2022, 14, 105. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  13. Huang, C.Y.; Chao, A.; Lin, C.Y.; Rozen, S.G.; Chao, A.S.; Chang, C.B.; Tung, H.J.; Wu, R.C.; Lai, C.H. Distinct genomic subgroups and mutational patterns in undifferentiated/dedifferentiated endometrial carcinoma. BMC Cancer 2025, 25, 1540. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  14. Ahangar, M.; Mahjoubi, F.; Mowla, S.J. Bladder cancer biomarkers: Current approaches and future directions. Front. Oncol. 2024, 14, 1453278. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  15. Kamatani, T.; Umeda, K.; Iwasawa, T.; Miya, F.; Matsumoto, K.; Mikami, S.; Hara, K.; Shimoda, M.; Suzuki, Y.; Nishino, J.; et al. Clonal diversity shapes the tumour microenvironment leading to distinct immunotherapy responses in metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Nat. Commun. 2025, 16, 7995. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  16. Katsimperis, S.; Tzelves, L.; Feretzakis, G.; Bellos, T.; Tsikopoulos, I.; Kostakopoulos, N.; Skolarikos, A. Circulating Tumor DNA in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: Implications for Prognosis and Treatment Personalization. Cancers 2025, 17, 1908. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  17. Olbromski, P.J.; Pawlik, P.; Bogacz, A.; Sajdak, S. Identification of New Molecular Biomarkers in Ovarian Cancer Using the Gene Expression Profile. J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11, 3888. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  18. Sharma, P.; Goswami, S.; Raychaudhuri, D.; Siddiqui, B.A.; Singh, P.; Nagarajan, A.; Liu, J.; Subudhi, S.K.; Poon, C.; Gant, K.L.; et al. Immune checkpoint therapy-current perspectives and future directions. Cell 2023, 186, 1652–1669. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  19. Lorentzen, C.L.; Haanen, J.B.; Met, Ö.; Svane, I.M. Clinical advances and ongoing trials on mRNA vaccines for cancer treatment. Lancet Oncol. 2022, 23, e450–e458, Correction in Lancet Oncol. 2022, 23, E492. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(22)00608-8. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  20. Zheng, P.; Zhou, C.; Ding, Y.; Duan, S. Disulfidptosis: A new target for metabolic cancer therapy. J. Exp. Clin. Cancer Res. 2023, 42, 103. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  21. Yu, P.; Zhu, C.; You, X.; Gu, W.; Wang, X.; Wang, Y.; Bu, R.; Wang, K. The combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and antibody-drug conjugates in the treatment of urogenital tumors: A review insights from phase 2 and 3 studies. Cell Death Dis. 2024, 15, 433. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  22. Hemenway, G.; Anker, J.F.; Riviere, P.; Rose, B.S.; Galsky, M.D.; Ghatalia, P. Advancements in Urothelial Cancer Care: Optimizing Treatment for Your Patient. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol. Educ. Book 2024, 44, e432054. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  23. Evans, S.T.; Jani, Y.; Jansen, C.S.; Yildirim, A.; Kalemoglu, E.; Bilen, M.A. Understanding and overcoming resistance to immunotherapy in genitourinary cancers. Cancer Biol. Ther. 2024, 25, 2342599. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  24. Huang, P.; Wang, J.; Yu, Z.; Lu, J.; Sun, Z.; Chen, Z. Redefining bladder cancer treatment: Innovations in overcoming drug resistance and immune evasion. Front. Immunol. 2025, 16, 1537808. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  25. Mun, J.Y.; Baek, S.W.; Jeong, M.S.; Jang, I.H.; Lee, S.R.; You, J.Y.; Kim, J.A.; Yang, G.E.; Choi, Y.H.; Kim, T.N.; et al. Stepwise molecular mechanisms responsible for chemoresistance in bladder cancer cells. Cell Death Discov. 2022, 8, 450. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  26. Wang, L.; Wang, X.; Zhu, X.; Zhong, L.; Jiang, Q.; Wang, Y.; Tang, Q.; Li, Q.; Zhang, C.; Wang, H.; et al. Drug resistance in ovarian cancer: From mechanism to clinical trial. Mol. Cancer 2024, 23, 66. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  27. Pérez, M.; Lozano, J.; Ingelmo-Torres, M.; Domenech, M.; Fernández Ramón, C.; Witjes, J.; van der Heijden, A.; Requena, M.; Coy, A.; Calderon, R.; et al. Biomarker-Based Nomogram to Predict Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer. Biomedicines 2025, 13, 740. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  28. Feng, Y.; Zhang, X.; Wang, G.; Yang, F.; Li, R.; Yin, L.; Chen, D.; Wang, W.; Wang, M.; Hu, Z.; et al. Comprehensive Integrated Analysis Reveals the Spatiotemporal Microevolution of Cancer Cells in Patients with Bone-Metastatic Prostate Cancer. Biomedicines 2025, 13, 909. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  29. Nicu, A.; Ionel, I.; Stoica, I.; Burlibasa, L.; Jinga, V. Recent Advancements in Research on DNA Methylation and Testicular Germ Cell Tumors: Unveiling the Intricate Relationship. Biomedicines 2024, 12, 1041. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  30. Isobe, H.; Shimizu, F.; Ieda, T.; Nakamura, S.; Takazawa, N.; Suetsugu, H.; Kajino, K.; Hirai, S.; Hirano, H.; Yuzawa, K.; et al. Comparison of BCG Tokyo172 Strain Induction Therapy Between Low Dose and Standard Dose for Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: Intravesical Instillation of BCG Tokyo172 Strain. Biomedicines 2025, 13, 174. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  31. Condoiu, C.; Musta, M.; Cumpanas, A.; Bardan, R.; Dema, V.; Zara, F.; Suciu, C.; Dumitru, C.; Ciucurita, A.; Dumache, R.; et al. Spontaneous Necrosis of a High-Risk Bladder Tumor Under Immunotherapy for Concurrent Malignant Melanoma: Role of BRAF Mutations and PD-L1 Expression. Biomedicines 2025, 13, 377. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  32. Lee, J.; Kim, T. Current Status and Future Perspectives of Nuclear Medicine in Prostate Cancer from Imaging to Therapy: A Comprehensive Review. Biomedicines 2025, 13, 1132. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  33. Złowocka-Perłowska, E.; Baszuk, P.; Marciniak, W.; Derkacz, R.; Tołoczko-Grabarek, A.; Słojewski, M.; Lemiński, A.; Soczawa, M.; Matuszczak, M.; Kiljańczyk, A.; et al. Blood and Serum Se and Zn Levels and 10-Year Survival of Patients after a Diagnosis of Kidney Cancer. Biomedicines 2024, 12, 1775. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Perri, A.; Rago, V.; Di Agostino, S. Urogenital Cancers: New Molecular and Translational Aspects on Carcinogenesis and Treatments. Biomedicines 2025, 13, 2678. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13112678

AMA Style

Perri A, Rago V, Di Agostino S. Urogenital Cancers: New Molecular and Translational Aspects on Carcinogenesis and Treatments. Biomedicines. 2025; 13(11):2678. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13112678

Chicago/Turabian Style

Perri, Anna, Vittoria Rago, and Silvia Di Agostino. 2025. "Urogenital Cancers: New Molecular and Translational Aspects on Carcinogenesis and Treatments" Biomedicines 13, no. 11: 2678. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13112678

APA Style

Perri, A., Rago, V., & Di Agostino, S. (2025). Urogenital Cancers: New Molecular and Translational Aspects on Carcinogenesis and Treatments. Biomedicines, 13(11), 2678. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13112678

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop