Advances and Patient-Focused Research Highlight Day Two of ASCO GU

The second day of the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary (ASCO GU) Cancers Symposium highlighted both innovative therapies and the continued need for patient-centered research in genitourinary cancers.

A key focus of the day was the underreporting of quality-of-life (QoL) end points in phase 3 genitourinary cancer trials. Although many trials collect patient-reported outcomes, fewer than half make these results publicly available. Experts noted that this gap limits patients’ and clinicians’ ability to fully understand how therapies affect daily functioning, symptom burden, and overall well-being. Improving the reporting of QoL outcomes is increasingly recognized as essential for informed treatment decisions. You can read our full coverage of this research here!

In bladder cancer, the combination of Padcev (enfortumab vedotin) and Keytruda (pembrolizumab) showed promising results for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the phase 3 KEYNOTE-B15 study. Administered before and after surgery, the combination reduced the risk of recurrence, progression, or death by about 47% compared with standard chemotherapy and surgery. Patients receiving this regimen also had higher rates of pathologic complete response, demonstrating the potential for improved disease control in high-risk patients. Read more about the phase 3 study here!

Another area of progress involves disitamab vedotin, an antibody-drug conjugate showing activity in patients with HER2-expressing urothelial carcinoma who had previously received therapy. Response rates exceeded 50 percent in both HER2-positive and HER2-low tumors, suggesting meaningful clinical benefit regardless of HER2 expression level. These findings support ongoing trials exploring disitamab vedotin, including combination approaches with immunotherapy, to expand treatment options for patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma. Read more from the global phase 2 study here!

Overall, day two of ASCO GU emphasized that advances in therapy must go hand-in-hand with patient-centered research. These studies reinforce the importance of considering not only survival and disease control but also the daily experiences of patients living with genitourinary cancers.

Check back tomorrow for our key takeaways from the meetings third and final day!

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