Review Article Open Access

The Role of Tumor and Host Microbiome on Immunotherapy Response in Urologic Cancers

Biren Saraiya , Jake Drobner , John Pfail , Krishna Doppalapudi , Saum Ghodoussipour , Vignesh T. Packiam

The role of the microbiome in the development and treatment of genitourinary malignancies is just starting to be appreciated. Accumulating evidence suggests that the microbiome can modulate immunotherapy through signaling in the highly dynamic tumor microenvironment. Nevertheless, much is still unknown about the immuno-oncology-microbiome axis, especially in urologic oncology. The objective of this review is to synthesize our current understanding of the microbiome’s role in modulating and predicting immunotherapy response to genitourinary malignancies.

Review Article Open Access

Targeted Therapy in Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer-Clinical Updates

David Golombos , John Pfail , Rachel Passarelli , Saum Ghodoussipour , Thomas L. Jang , Vignesh T. Packiam

Non muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) comprises almost 75% of all bladder cancer (BC) diagnoses. Longstanding intravesical treatment options include chemotherapy or Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG). However, despite these treatment options, there is a high rate of relapse for NMIBC patients, reaching up to 40-50% for patients with high risk disease. Radical cystectomy is recommended by guideline committees for patients with high risk NMIBC and for patients who fail intravesical treatment options