Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Patient preferences in the treatment of genitourinary cancers

Nature Reviews Urology volume 20, pages 513–514 (2023)Cite this article

Subjects

Several newly approved therapies have substantially altered the treatment paradigm for multiple genitourinary cancers. Considering the existence of numerous possible treatment approaches, understanding which treatment attributes are most valued by each patient is crucial to physicians to recommend a cancer-directed treatment.

The treatment landscape of genitourinary cancers including prostate cancer, urothelial carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has rapidly evolved, with the approval of ~30 systemic therapies — the second highest number among all tumour types — between 2016 and 2021 (ref. 1). Considering the multiple potential therapeutic options available and the fact that, at times, no clear consensus is reached on the most appropriate treatment approach, factors such as quality of life, financial toxicity and time toxicity are increasingly being recognized in the decision of a cancer-directed treatment2. Consequently, over the past 5 years, numerous studies have been undertaken to identify which end points and values are most meaningful to patients with genitourinary cancers when considering a potential therapy. In several of these studies, physician preferences were also evaluated, and a discord between patient and physician preferences for treatments was identified. Thus, understanding which treatment attributes are important to patients with genitourinary malignancies is imperative for physicians.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Benjamin, D. J., Xu, A., Lythgoe, M. P. & Prasad, V. Cancer drug approvals that displaced existing standard-of-care therapies, 2016-2021. JAMA Netw. Open 5, e222265 (2022).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Ver Hoeve, E. S., Ali-Akbarian, L., Price, S. N., Lothfi, N. M. & Hamann, H. A. Patient-reported financial toxicity, quality of life, and health behaviors in insured US cancer survivors. Support. Care Cancer 29, 349–358 (2021).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. George, D. J. et al. Patient preferences for treatment and outcomes in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (HSPC) [abstract]. J. Clin. Oncol. 40 (Suppl. 16), e18757 (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Collins, S. P. et al. Identifying prostate cancer patient subgroups based on their preferences for key attributes of androgen deprivation therapies [abstract]. J. Clin. Oncol. 41 (Suppl. 6), 94 (2023).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Grivas, P. et al. Preferences for first-line treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma among US practicing oncologists and patients. Future Oncol. https://doi.org/10.2217/fon-2022-0767 (2023).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Apolo, A. B. et al. Understanding drivers of treatment preferences in locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma: a qualitative interview study with patients, caregivers, and physicians [abstract]. J. Clin. Oncol. 41 (Suppl. 6), 492 (2023).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Battle, D. et al. Patient preferences and expectations of systemic therapy in renal cell carcinoma [abstract]. J. Clin. Oncol. 38 (Suppl. 15), 5083 (2020).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Vass, C. et al. Heterogeneity in physician and patient preferences for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma: evidence from latent class analysis [abstract]. J. Clin. Oncol. 41 (Suppl. 6), 661 (2023).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hoag Family Cancer Institute, Newport Beach, CA, USA

    David J. Benjamin

  2. Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA, USA

    Arash Rezazadeh Kalebasty

Authors
  1. David J. Benjamin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Arash Rezazadeh Kalebasty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David J. Benjamin.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

A.R.K. declares stock and other ownership interests: ECOM Medical; consulting or advisory role: Exelixis, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Pfizer, Novartis, Genentech, Bristol Myers Squibb, EMD Serono, Immunomedics and Gilead Sciences; speakers’ bureau: Janssen, Astellas Medivation, Pfizer, Novartis, Sanofi, Genentech/Roche, Eisai, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Amgen, Exelixis, EMD Serono, Merck, Seattle Genetics/Astellas, Myovant Sciences, Gilead Sciences and AVEO; research funding: Genentech, Exelixis, Janssen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eisai, Macrogenics, Astellas Pharma, BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals, BioClin Therapeutics, Clovis Oncology, Bavarian Nordic, Seattle Genetics, Immunomedics and Epizyme; and travel, accommodations and/or expenses: Genentech, Prometheus, Astellas Medivation, Janssen, Eisai, Bayer, Pfizer, Novartis, Exelixis and AstraZeneca. D.J.B. declares no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Benjamin, D.J., Rezazadeh Kalebasty, A. Patient preferences in the treatment of genitourinary cancers. Nat Rev Urol 20, 513–514 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-023-00765-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-023-00765-8

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing