Immunotherapy Applications in Urology

Immunotherapy has transformed the management of urological cancers, offering renewed optimism for individuals diagnosed with bladder, kidney, and, to a lesser degree, prostate tumors.Conventional therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation, frequently demonstrate restricted efficacy.At the same time, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have surfaced as promising alternatives, especially in urothelial and renal cell carcinoma (RCC).This review examines immunotherapy mechanisms, focusing on immune checkpoint pathways such as programmed cell death protein 1 and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4, and their contributions to improving immune recognition and eliminating tumor cells.Bacillus Calmette-Gurin immunotherapy is essential for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, whereas ICIs have transformed the management of muscleinvasive and metastatic forms of the disease.In RCC, ICIs have markedly enhanced survival outcomes, whether alone or in conjunction with tyrosine kinase inhibitors.Although advancements have been made, the role of immunotherapy in prostate cancer remains in development, with limited efficacy documented thus far.Current research focuses on optimizing combination therapies and identifying biomarkers to improve patient selection.The future of immunotherapy in urology involves its incorporation into earlier treatment stages and its combination with innovative agents, which may enhance outcomes for patients with urological cancers.