EAU23 features top-tier and prize-winning abstracts

The abstracts on oncology focused on urothelial, renal, and prostate cancers. Benign lower urinary tract diseases, urolithiasis, and infections were the scope of the abstracts on non-oncology. This article provides the key takeaways and expert commentary on the three prize-winning abstracts.

Under the oncology category, the top-prize winning abstract A1163 Proteomic profiling of muscle-invasive bladder cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy described four pre-NAC and two post-NAC proteomic clusters with distinct biology and survival outcomes, alongside novel prognostic biomarkers. The future work for this research will include the validation of these clusters by IHC (immunohistochemistry) in larger independent MIBC cohorts. A non-NAC cohort using pre-NAC tissue will be used to confirm the prognostic versus predictive relevance of these findings.

Discussant Prof. Lars Dyrskjøt (DK) stated, “Hopefully in the future, we can create a combination of tissue analysis and liquid biopsy analysis, and then profile the different genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics layers to generate models that broaden our understanding of the disease development but also make us more capable in identifying novel biomarkers. This study here is an important addition to understanding the complexity of MIBC.”

The second prize was given to A0890 The Stockholm3 prostate cancer screening trial (STHLM3): An interim analysis of mortality results after 6.5 years of follow-up which concluded that the results cautiously suggest a potential effect on reducing prostate cancer mortality by a single intensive screening intervention using PSA and Stockholm3 in combination to the cost of increasing prostate cancer incidence. Longer-term follow-up is needed and is underway.

Discussant Prof. Albers (DE) stated that data has shown that mortality difference using Stockholm3 as a screening tool is favourable, and that PSA > 3 is confirmed as a good screening cut-off. He added that the acceptance of STHLM3 in a population setting remains unclear and the different components of STHLM3 needs to be quantified. According to Prof. Albers, the role of genotyping as a reflex test and the cost effectiveness of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) versus STHLM3 need to explored.

Abstract A0693 Similar artefact susceptibility for water- and air-filled urodynamic systems: Results from a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial received the top prize of the non-oncology category. The research results demonstrated that AFS are non-inferior to WFS regarding overall quality of urodynamic traces. However, both measurement systems have particular pitfalls that need to be known for problem solving during urodynamic investigation (UDI) and require awareness for accurate interpretation of UDI.

Discussant Dr. Manuela Tutolo (IT) stated, “Both measurement systems have particular pitfalls. Problem-solving and UDI interpretation require particular awareness. We know that in our clinical practice that urodynamics is part of the patient assessment but it cannot evaluate important characteristics of the patient such as voiding diaries, etc. We have contrasting and conflicting evidence in the literature about the prognostic role of this test concerning different voiding dysfunction.  We know that precision is important in the measurements but pattern recognition and interpretation are more relevant in the definition of the disease of the patient. Now I ask you, do we still only focus on the accuracy of the test?”.

View the full list of abstracts featured in this Special Session here. (Re)watch the presentations via EAU on Demand on the Virtual Platform.